Hoda Kotb Walks Fans Through Her ‘Daily Routine’ and Gives a Backstage Tour of Today Studio

Georgia Slater

July 10, 2020 at 10:52 AM·4 min read

Ever wonder what the Today show looks like from beyond your TV screen? Hoda Kotb has got you covered.

Before going on air Friday morning, Kotb gave her Instagram followers a behind-the-scenes look at her "morning routine" at the Today studio, including how she gets her morning coffee and picks out her daily outfit for the show.

"Morning, just doing a little morning routine," Kotb said, keeping her face mask on as she walked into NBC's 30 Rockefeller Plaza studio.

The Today show anchor then revealed that the first step in her "morning drill" is to get a cup of coffee.

"This is where we have snacks and water," she explained, showing viewers the kitchenette as she grabbed a cup and moved toward the coffee dispenser.

Hoda Kotb Instagram

Hoda Kotb Instagram

Hoda Kotb Instagram

Eager for her first cup of coffee, Kotb, 55, tried to take a sip before remembering that she still had her face mask on.

"Oh ... doesn't work," she laughed.

As the television host continued down the hallway toward her dressing room, she explained that all the doors of the studio remain open "so you don't have to touch the handles" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

She also shared that there are hand sanitizer dispensers placed around the studio for safety.

"Say hi to all the pictures on the wall," Kotb said as she waved to all her co-hosts framed in photos in the studio hallway.

Kotb then entered her dressing room — carefully trying not to spill her coffee while opening the door — and gave viewers a quick tour of where she gets ready.

"Every time you come in, this area has been disinfected," she said, panning to her desk with a sign indicating that her room had been clean.

Hoda Kotb Instagram

Hoda Kotb Instagram

Also on her desk is a copy of the day's newspaper and notes for the upcoming episode.

Next, "pick an outfit," she said, showing a number of dresses hanging on her wall to choose from.

"Oh I can take my mask off I’m in my room," she laughed. "That’s a little bit of the morning drill, not much to it after all. Ok, I need Coffee-Mate."

Shortly after her behind-the-scenes tour, Kotb posted a "step 2" video on Instagram, sharing how she does her own hair for the show.

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"Ok, so the next part of the day is this thing," she shared, showing her blowdry brush. "I love this thing."

As Kotb continued to style her hair, she joked, "I call this abs and arms."

"Ok, it's getting there," modeling the near-finished hairstyle. "Usually I say it takes a pound of gel and a hammer — or this thing," she said, pointing to the dryer.

Kotb, who has continued broadcasting from the show’s studio amid the pandemic, has been waking up at 3 a.m. (rather than her usual 4:15) so she can commute into the city from her weekend home, prep for the day, mic herself and do her own hair and makeup for the show.

“It’s totally weird. I hate to say that I’m so naive, but I didn’t know how one of those big steamers worked, to steam clothes,” Kotb previously told PEOPLE. “So today all my [clothes] were in a ball. I went into the wardrobe room and I literally was steaming the place up right after I had done my hair. It’s the small things that trip you up and make you realize how much we need every single person we work with.”

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