Hoda Kotb has disclosed her habit of researching (and Googling) potential romantic interests online prior to going on dates with them.
Furthermore, the television personality, 59, has outlined what she perceives as major warning signs and “red flages” when dining out with men.
After splitting from her former fiancé, financier Joel Schiffman in January 2022, the talk show host has since confirmed that she is back in the dating game and has even gone on multiple outings with an unidentified suitor.
Hoda Kotb Gets Candid About Googling Romantic Interests And Her Dating Turn-Offs On Today with Hoda and Jenna
However, the mom of two has also expressed her disdain for certain behaviors that instantly turn her off. While speaking with fellow Today Show co-star Jenna Bush Hager last week, Kotb discussed her views on Simone Biles‘ recent guest appearance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast, where Biles, 27, mentioned checking out her spouse Jonathan Owens‘ Instagram profile before beginning their relationship.
“I like how she also did a quick deep dive. She was like, “I like him, let’s get in,” because this is the thing with social media, you know everybody’s history,” Kotb told Bush Hager, 42, on-air. “You can’t escape your past and you can’t really pretend unless you are pretending all the way on social media,” Kotb added.
Bush Hager replied: “I know, so it is weird that now if you have a crush on somebody, you can just Google them on up. Do you?” Kotb then confessed: “I’ve done that, and sometimes I like to know less because I feel like you don’t really get a fair shot at anything.” She went on: “Because, like we say, you’re different every few years, you weren’t the same person.”
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The mom of two (who shares daughters Hope, 5, and Haley, 7, with ex Schiffman, 66) explained: "If someone looked at you back in the day and looked at you today, I mean look at your depth, you were a very deep... you have meaningful conversations; you care about those things."
Bush Hager then pointed out: "That's the main thing, if you are just Googling for headlines, that isn't getting to know somebody, that's just a snapshot, that's a single story of somebody." Kotb added: "I mean, if there is a consistent thread like, 'uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, red flag'... you're not changing him."
The former First Daughter concurred, and said: "You do need to get to actually know people, not just see their headlines, not just see their profile pics, not just read about... see their old girlfriends, that ain't enough."
Kotb then shared another idea. "That's not enough, you've got to just have a sit-down but trust your instincts," prior to seemingly alluding to her previous dating experiences.
"Sometimes guys who are too charming... in the beginning it's great and you're like, 'wow they're dazzling,' but after a while they're trying to dazzle the waitress and dazzle this one and dazzle that one," Kotb said.
One day prior to this episode, Bush Hager revealed on another episode that her coworker and longtime pal Kotb is still single and "looking for the one." In an effort to clarify a mistaken identity of a man thought to be one of Kotb's love interests, Bush Hager inadvertently disclosed that the man in question was, in fact, Kotb's driver rather than her boyfriend.
During a chat about basketball, Kotb mentioned a man named Eddie which caused some fans to wrongly assume he was her romantic partner, resulting in confusion.
"Wait, and we should just say... Eddie drives you... people thought he was your boyfriend for a minute,'" the mom of three said as Kotb laughed and shot back: "No, no!"
Bush Hager went on: "No, they did! And I saw him yesterday and I was like, 'What's up Eddie?' and he was like, 'Can you believe it?'" Bush Hager then asked Kotb: "Eddie, you love him?" Kotb replied: "I love Eddie dearly, I've worked with him for many years and I call him my Eddie."
Bush Hager reiterated: "He's your Eddie, but that doesn't mean he is your romantic Eddie." Suggesting that her pal is still single, Bush Hager told viewers: "Any of y'all that thought she had found the one, she's still looking" as Kotb chuckled.
Kotb and Schiffman first began dating in 2013, got engaged in November 2016 and broke things off in January 2022. On an episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna at the time, Kotb told her audience: "Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and really meaningful conversations over the holidays, and we decided that we're better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple."
They continue to amicably co-parent their children, as seen in sweet and wholesome family photos shared by Kotb with her Instagram followers.
