With the paperback publication of Hoda Kotb’s "New York Times" bestelling book – "Hoda: How I survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee" – let us consider again why we love Hoda.
-We love her name, “Hoda,” and its variation “Hodie.” The name Hoda Kotb (she pronounces last name KOT-bee, but others say it is KOO-tub) is about as common in Egypt, Hoda says, as Jane Smith is here. (Hoda’s parents came from Egypt; she’s an Oklahoma native.) “Hoda” means guidance – and she and Kathie Lee Gifford steer us (sometimes in different directions) five days a week on the fourth hour of the “Today Show” on NBC.
-Hoda knows news. She has reported from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, covered the tsunami in Thailand, and was on the ground after Hurricane Katrina from the beginning (she was a New Orleans reporter and anchor at WWL TV for 6 years). Hoda was the first to interview Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi for American television in 11 years. We trust Hoda to know what is going on in the world.
-Hoda is the perfect sidekick to Kathie Lee. We could take a full hour of just Hoda, although it would not be as entertaining without Kathie Lee. But could anyone take a full hour of JUST Kathie Lee?
