Hoda Kotb Can’t Wait to Go to Olympics and 'Try All the Parisian Things' with Savannah Guthrie (Exclusive)
“I want to do all the good things. I want to try all the Parisian things," Kotb tells PEOPLE
Hoda Kotb is excited to “feel the culture” of the Paris Olympics!
The Today show co-host is gearing up to cover the games for NBC and she couldn’t be more delighted about the opportunity — or the venue.
“I love Paris,” Kotb, 59, tells PEOPLE. “I think it's one of the most magical cities in the world. I went with my mom a few times and fell in love each time. So the idea that we're combining one of the sparkliest best cities in the world with the most amazing event is like, you can't even believe it's happening.”
Kotb is ready for the change in scenery, she says, which includes indulging in the French fare.
“I'm looking forward to all of it,” she says. “Watching as many of the Olympics events as I can with the athletes, but also sitting with Savannah [Guthrie], having a croissant, and just having some cappuccino and having a beautiful meal and sitting outside.”
She adds, “I want to do all the good things. I want to try all the Parisian things.”
Kotb is also known for her enthusiasm regarding gymnastics — Guthrie has called her “the unofficial den mother” — and she is sure to make time to watch Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera go for gold.
In an interview with the newly named team on Today earlier this month, the mother of two even workshopped some nickname suggestions.
Kotb suggested “Fantastic Five” and the “Phenomenal Five” and “Fearless Five,” but the team said they're still deciding.
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Whether it’s gymnastics another sport, the diversity and scope of the games is not lost on Kotb.
She shares the same kind of perspective — about learning and growing — as she marks the 50th guest (Lainey Wilson) on her podcast, Making Space,
Courtesy of Making Space with Hoda Kotb
“Wow, we're all here,” she tells PEOPLE on the eve of the Olympics. “Every country is represented in this tiny place. It's the coolest. It's the best of the world, especially the U.S. of course. It shows us when we are hugging and congratulating and all that stuff, people with languages we don't understand. And it's just — I find it magical.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.com and come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.
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