Hoda Kotb’s chapter after the Today show exit was meant to be a happy new beginning. Instead, her first big project on her own has reportedly caused anger and quiet resentment at NBC. Hoda Kotb has been away from the network for a year now, but she is still not completely free of NBC.
Network people are not happy with Hoda and her ‘burden’
As people close to her say they are getting tired of her requests and question her latest project, the former morning show star is getting an unexpectedly cold reception from the very workplace she left behind.
Insiders say that the 61-year-old broadcaster has been asking her former coworkers for help with her YouTube project, “Joy Rides.”
Sources say that outreach has gotten old.
An insider told the Daily Mail, “Even Hoda doesn’t really know what this is,” which summed up the mood well. The staff say she’s always bothering them. She quit, and now she keeps asking for favors, and everyone is done with it.
Hoda allegedly has worn out her welcome
What used to be seen as a friendly request from someone you knew is now seen as a constant burden.
People who work in network news every day say they are stretched too thin and don’t have much patience for side projects that aren’t part of NBC’s business anymore.
“Joy Rides” was a new celebrity interview show that took the familiar mobile-interview format and made it more honest by having people talk in cars.
Savannah Guthrie, who co-hosted “Today,” was in the first episode, which came out on January 21. It was filmed before Guthrie left for vocal cord surgery on December 19.
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NBC staff sick of Hoda Kotb’s requests
NBC insiders weren’t impressed, even though the guest was famous. Many people behind the scenes made fun of the early-morning shoot, which was mostly filmed in the dark, as an unsteady start.
One NBC producer didn’t hold back, saying, “The staff are sick of it.” They don’t have to find content for Hoda’s app. They’ve had enough of working for NBC News and just want her to leave. She’s taking a chance. On paper, the idea looked cute, but in real life, it’s awkward, forced, and tiring. People can only take so much of Hoda’s charm.
The tone implies more than just constructive criticism. It shows that the workers are tired because they are already under a lot of stress and now feel like they are being pulled into a project that they think should stand on its own.
Savannah Guthrie’s appearance made the network raise eyebrows
Insiders say that Guthrie’s involvement didn’t do much to get people at NBC excited, even though the former co-anchors have been friends on air for a long time.
Instead, it made people doubt how far and how useful the project would be.
One source said that the appearance was short, saying, “Savannah gave her fifteen minutes at 4 a.m.” That says it all. Savannah wouldn’t do media for anyone else with so few subscribers. It’s basically Hoda trying to make herself relevant again, and no one is impressed.
For NBC critics, the numbers for Hoda’s new show made them even more sure that all the work that went into the show’s launch wasn’t worth it. Have you watched Hoda Kotb’s new YouTube show, Joy Rides? Come back to The Daily News Corner for all of your news updates.
