Why Hoda Kotb 'Tabled' Relationship With Mystery Man After 3 Dates

Hoda Kotb Getty Images/Getty Images for AARP

Hoda Kotb is sharing an update on where she stands with her mystery man after multiple dates.

“I did go on the third date, but I did kind of decide in that space — because this person who’s a lovely human being has a lot of … things that are being worked out — that I think I’m looking for more … simplicity,” the Today cohost, 60, shared on the Tuesday, August 20, episode of “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” podcast.

Noting that it’s normally her “instinct” to be a “fixer,” Kotb said that the pair officially put their romance on pause. “That has been tabled beautifully, like, nothing funky, all good,” she explained before telling host Jamie Kern Lima, “He’s very cute, by the way, extremely handsome. I’ll show you a picture after, but [things are] tabled for now.”

When asked whether she has met anyone new since taking a break from the mystery man, Kotb replied, “Not yet.” According to the TV personality, her focus is on finding someone who is “adding and not subtracting” to her life.

Everything Today's Hoda Kotb Has Said About Dating, Breakups and More

“In this moment, I just want addition, you know, because I feel like when I kind of map my days out and see what free time do I really have, it’s so limited that you want to make sure when you have it that you’re spending it with someone who’s in the addition business of your life,” she shared.

Kotb was previously married to Burzis Kanga from 2005 to 2008 and got engaged to Joel Schiffman — with whom she coparents daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5 — in 2019. The pair announced in January 2022 that they were separating after eight years together but have remained friendly over the years.

During a March episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Kotb announced that she went on her first date in two years. That same month, Today With Hoda & Jenna’s Jenna Bush Hager revealed that her matchmaking skills were responsible for Kotb’s new romantic connection. Two months later, Kotb shared on The Drew Barrymore Show that she and the mystery man were planning to go on a third date.

Joel Schiffman and Hoda Kotb Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

“I think it was just the kind of fun of talking about something that wasn’t kids and wasn’t work,” Kotb said of her dates. “It was just life, and I missed that. And he’s really handsome.”

She went on to state: “I’m different now than I was. For me, I feel like I have a lot of buckets that I want someone to fill, like, an emotional bucket is fun, a spiritual bucket. There’s so many buckets in life, and I think, sometimes, if you think about your person, like, I think I realize in my life that there’s more that I want.”

During another episode of “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” podcast earlier this month, Kotb shared that she and Schiffman — with whom she recently celebrated her 60th birthday — were “growing at different paces” before their split.

Hoda Kotb Calls Ex Joel Schiffman a 'Great Dad' in Sweet Tribute

“I think a lot of people are probably in these situations. One person’s growing … or one person wants it this way, and one person wants it that way,” she stated on August 13, noting that it’s “hard to be in sync.”

Kotb continued: “Joel is one of the best people I know, and he really is a great human being. 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.”