The ex-cohosts were beloved for their chaotic energy, which could get them into trouble.

Kathie Lee Gifford reveals she and Hoda Kotb were kicked off Today plaza for ‘making too much noise’

The ex-cohosts were beloved for their chaotic energy, which could get them into trouble.

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino is a writer at *. *She has written for * *since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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February 14, 2026 9:00 a.m. ET

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Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford on the 'Today' show. Credit:

Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty

When she joined *Today *in 2008, Kathie Lee Gifford brought out a looser side of Hoda Kotb, which could get the pair in trouble with the rest of the crew.**

The former cohosts walked down memory lane during a reunion on Kotb's *Making Space* podcast. Kotb recalled feeling as if her professional career was like "putting a circle in a square and pretending to be something I wasn't" before she met Gifford.

Kotb had launched the fourth hour of *Today *with Natalie Morales and Ann Curry in 2007. The following year, she and producer Amy Rosenblum asked Gifford to fill in for Morales and Curry who were off one day. Kotb said the addition of the former *Live! *host was like "someone turned the lights on."

Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford on the 'Today' plaza.

Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Gifford was offered a permanent position on the fourth hour, but she would only do it if Kotb was her cohost. Gifford said she did not want to return to daytime television after leaving *Live!,* but the meeting with Kotb about the guest spot had changed her mind.

When Gifford officially joined the show, Kotb admitted that she had a hard time shaking her formal training, opting to stick to her cue cards and the producers in her ear. Meanwhile, Gifford was famous for her off-the-cuff personality, encouraging Kotb to go off-script once in a while.

The duo remembered one broadcast when the cards went flying with the wind, which forced them to simply keep it "real," as Kotb put it.

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"That's where the gold is," Gifford said. "That's when you start mining the gold. And then we were forced off the plaza for making too much noise."

Gifford recalled the day she felt a "shift" in Kotb. She said that's when she felt a mutual trust between them.

"This is so fun to reminisce like this, Hoda," she said. "I love you."

Kathie Lee Gifford left 'Today' in 2019.

Jason Kempin/Getty

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After 11 years on *Today,* Gifford left in 2019. Last year, Kotb exited her longtime gig, citing her desire to take care of her children.**

Check out the full episode of *Making Space* with Kathie Lee Gifford below.**

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Source: “EW Talk”