Here's Why Kelly Rowland Walked Away from Guest Hosting 'Today,' Leaving Hoda Kotb in Disarray

Kelly Rowland unexpectedly fled the Today program's set, forcing Hoda Kobt to frantically search for a replacement co-host. As reported by Page Six, after appearing as a guest on Today in the 8 a.m. hour, the R&B singer and actress was scheduled to guest host Today with Hoda & Jenna in the fourth hour, replacing Jenna Bush Hager. However, Rowland abruptly withdrew due to the poor quality of her dressing room, leaving Kotb scrambling to find a stand-in, according to insiders.

An insider revealed to the outlet, "Kelly and her team were not happy. They did not like the dressing room, so they decided to pull her off the show, leaving [Kotb] without a guest host for the 10 a.m. hour." Insiders were confused by Rowland's sudden departure because "She’s beloved at ‘Today.’ She was getting the full hour, and Hoda’s the biggest hype woman on the planet! It made no sense."

Having served as a judge on both the third and eighth seasons of The X Factor USA and The X Factor UK, the 43-year-old is well-known in the television business. She is, of course, most known for being a member of Destiny's Child, which also includes Michelle Williams and Beyoncé, in addition to her experience on television. Rowland and her group reportedly intended to play a game of 'musical dressing rooms' before deciding that none of them were good enough.

However, it seems that Rowland was correct when another insider informed the publication that the Today show's dressing rooms are not the greatest in the business. The insider spilled, "They’re not nice. It’s the oldest building. There are major space limitations, [it’s] not glamorous. It’s not fresh flowers, candles, and gourmet food. It’s basically [a] white box."

According to the same Page Six report, it is a well-known fact that the dressing rooms of Today are among the tiniest in the business; one insider even goes so far as to label them 'glorified closets.' In fact, Today's stars, Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones, shared pictures of their changing rooms in the year 2021, and they didn't look good. 

Moreover, Jennifer Lopez was already occupying the green room upstairs when Rowland's crew reportedly inquired about it. Producers made an effort to provide Rowland with several other choices, such as different talent changing rooms and some much bigger utility facilities for hair and makeup. The source further added, "They didn’t want that. [The show] basically offered up as much as possible, but they weren’t happy with it, so they walked and they left."

Fortunately, singer Rita Ora offered to take Rowland's place. She allegedly accepted the given dressing room without raising any objections. Rowland was in attendance to co-host and promote her latest thriller film, Mea Culpa, which Tyler Perry wrote, produced, and directed. The movie centers on Mea Harper (Rowland), a criminal defense lawyer who develops a personal relationship with Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes), an artist who is charged with killing his fiancée.