Comedian Ali Wong thinks she’s found the perfect guy for Today host Hoda Kotb, and it’s her friend Eric André.
“Eric André is, like, obsessed with you,” Ali, 42, said during her appearance on Today With Hoda and Jenna on Thursday, October 10.
The Always Be My Maybe star then proceeded to show Hoda, 60, several photos of the funny man, including one where Eric, 41, dressed as the popular TV personality for Halloween. In the pic, Eric could be seen wearing a wig in a similar style to Hoda’s hair, along with a purple dress that was nearly identical to one Hoda’s worn in the past.
“Look at [this. It’s a] homage to you. Is that the first time you’ve seen that?” Ali asked, referring to the picture of Eric in his costume.
Hoda and her cohost, Jenna Bush Hager, were both surprised to learn of Eric’s secret love for the soon-to-be Today alum, but it was Jenna, 42, who asked Ali to go into more detail about his decision to dress as Hoda for Halloween.
“Because he loves Hoda. I asked him, when I was talking to him about dating, I was like, ‘What is your type?’ And he responded, ‘Hoda Kotb.’ No, I think he just said ‘Hoda’ because you’re like, you know, in that mono status — what is it, mononym status?” Ali answered.
Hoda and her former fiancé, Joel Schiffman, split in 2022 after several years together. The couple began dating in 2013, but they didn’t go public with their romance until two years later. Joel, 66, popped the question in November 2019, and Hoda shocked viewers when she announced on January 31, 2022, that the couple had decided to call it quits. Earlier this year, the mom of two opened up about what went wrong with her and Joel’s relationship.
“Joel is one of the best people I know, and he really is a great human being,” Hoda said on August 13 during a guest appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show. “And I feel like I’m a pretty great human being, but sometimes two great human beings together isn’t quite enough to make it work.”
She added that it had become difficult for her and Joel to stay “in sync” with one another.
“I think a lot of people are probably in these situations,” Hoda added. “One person’s growing … or one person wants it this way, and one person wants it that way.”
However, while Hoda has gone on a few dates since she and Joel went their separate ways, her cohosts like Jenna and others have decided to take a step back from helping her find her next Mr. Right.
“Too many NBC folks have been burned trying to find Hoda a man, and now they know better,” an insider exclusively told Closer on September 22. “When you set up two friends and it works out, you’re the hero, but when things fall apart, suddenly you’re the villain. And as much as everyone wants Hoda to find the perfect man, she’s perfectly happy being single at the moment.”
