Hoda Kotb Professes “Great Love” For Kelly Rowland Despite ‘Today’ Walk-Out

Hoda Kotb has no hard feelings for Kelly Rowland despite the latter’s no-show for a planned guest-hosting gig during the fourth hour of Today last Thursday.

“I just want to say this,” Kotb said on-air today. “I have great love and admiration for Kelly Rowland. I adore her and I want her to come back on our show and I want her to host again.”

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Last Thursday, Rowland had appeared on Today earlier in the morning to promote her new Netflix movie Mea Culpa, and she was set to fill in for Kotb’s usual co-host, Jenna Bush, for the fourth hour. News quickly spread that Rowland was unhappy with the small dressing room she’d been assigned, and so left the studio, leaving singer Rita Ora, a guest on the Today episode, to fill in at the last minute. Today staffers were said to be stunned after Rowland left despite efforts to offer her alternatives.

Kotb and Bush briefly addressed the controversy today, with Kotb first expressing her “great love and admiration” for Rowland and Bush adding, “She is welcome any time.”

“Of course she is!” Kotb said twice. “She can share my dressing room! We’ll be in it together!”

“We’ve loved her on this show for many, many, many years,” Kotb said.

Rowland has not yet addressed what happened.

Watch the segment below.

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