Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford ‘Jealousy’ Feud Gets Spotlight Amid Rumors Kathie Lee Will Quit

Ever since Hoda Kotb replaced Matt Lauer as the Today co-anchor after a sex scandal resulted in his firing, rumors have soared about what will happen to the famous hour that Hoda currently shares with Kathie Lee Gifford. Kotb and Gifford have charmed viewers with their relaxed banter, fondness for sipping wine together, and occasional drop-in from a celebrity.

While Hoda initially said that she would work straight through, moving from her co-anchor chair with Savannah Guthrie straight into her wine-sipping gig with Kathie Lee, some viewers speculated that Kotb couldn’t keep up the pace for long. In addition, Hoda sparked speculation that her time slot with Gifford was over when she threw shade at Kathie Lee during her first day as the Today show co-anchor, as the Inquisitr reported.

After sitting next to Gifford for years, Kotb praised Savannah Guthrie as her ideal co-host for the future.

“There’s no one I’d rather be sitting next to in 2018 than you,” Kotb told Savannah.

Hoda Kotb’s Promotion Plus Kathie Lee’s Absence Equals Worried Fans

In addition to throwing shade on camera, Hoda reportedly is planning her exit from her gig with Kathie Lee behind the scenes. Kotb allegedly now feels she is “too big” for that girls’ talk hour, while Gifford is rumored to be jealous and furious about Hoda’s promotion.

When Kathie Lee recently vanished from her Today gig with Kotb, viewers worried that she had abruptly quit or even followed in Matt Lauer’s footsteps and been fired, reported Closer.

Adding to the rumors that Gifford had quit and Kotb was hunting for a replacement, the Instagram pages devoted to Hoda’s and Kathie Lee’s hour suddenly contained primarily Kotb. Where was Gifford?

“Is Kathie Lee fired from Today? Fans were worried last week when she was absent from Today.”

Although Gifford was gone last week on a visit to Israel, her temporary absence may have served as a hint of what lies ahead for fans of her hour with Kotb. In the wake of Hoda’s promotion, an insider told the publication that Kathie Lee plans to immerse herself in new projects other than Today.

Gifford’s plans to focus on non-Today projects now that Kotb has become co-anchor with Savannah have caused suspense about precisely how much longer Kathie Lee will work for Today, according to the source.

Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford Wine-Sipping Fans Sound Off On Instagram

Turning to Instagram, viewers of Gifford’s and Kotb’s wine-sipping hour voiced their views on the future of the time slot. Some enjoyed the guest host who substituted for Kathie Lee and had praise in response to Hoda’s comment.

“We were honored to have @keirsimmons as our guest co-host this week!”

Those fans praised Keir as a “great” co-host, with some even wanting Simmons to get a new hour on Today.

Keir even responded to the Instagram praise with an “OMG,” thanking his fans for their enthusiasm and admitting he was “floored by your comments.” But other fans wanted Kathie Lee to return as Hoda’s co-host, with one even turning off the TV after finding out that Gifford was gone.

“I had to shut it off when the 10:00 hour came on. I couldn’t take [the substitute for Kathie Lee] AT ALL. Where’s KLG?”

Kathie Lee turned to Twitter to answer that question.

Blue Monday? Not when I’m back with @hodakotb and our friend, Jerry! #FunDayMonday! Dress by @AdriannaPapell and jewelry by #brendaschoenfeld pic.twitter.com/D8cOjoyAv9

— Kathie Lee Gifford (@KathieLGifford) January 15, 2018

“Blue Monday?” teased Kathie Lee on Twitter. “Not when I’m back with [Hoda Kotb].”

Gifford’s fans responded with praise, expressing relief that she had returned to co-host with Kotb again.

“Not the same at all without you and Hoda together,” wrote one fan.

Olympics May Leave Kathie Lee Gifford ‘Sulking’ Solo

But despite the enthusiasm from viewers for Kathie Lee’s return to her gig with Kotb, rumors continue that Gifford is jealous and may quit. Kathie Lee was stunned by some of the comments in her Twitter feed, according to Blasting News.

“What took Kathie Lee by complete surprise was a backlash of unfriendly feedback in her Twitter messages, assuming that she had left in a dither after the news that Hoda was named as host of Today‘s core two hours.”

Amid the rumors that Gifford had quit because she was jealous of Kotb, Kathie Lee turned the spotlight on the allegations of a feud.

“I’m thrilled for Hoda—just thrilled,” said Gifford.

Kathie Lee also joked about throwing a “hissy fit” over Hoda’s promotion prior to heading off to Israel. But despite her jokes, Radar Online reported that the upcoming Olympics mean good news for Kotb and a situation that could fuel Hoda’s alleged feud with Gifford.

Savannah Guthrie will travel with Kotb to the Olympics, taking on the challenge of hosting the Today show’s first three hours live from South Korea. In addition to stealing the Today show spotlight, Hoda will leave Kathie Lee alone and possibly “sulking” over the situation, insiders told Radar.