Singer abruptly walked off ‘Today’ gig over dressing room

Kelly Rowland was just not destined to guest host the “Today” show.

According to a new report, the former Destiny’s Child singer was set to fill in for Jenna Bush Hager in the fourth hour of “Today” on Feb. 15, 2024, but she instead walked off the set because she was unhappy with her dressing room, Page Six reported. Kelly’s abrupt departure left “Today” in a bind, as producers scrambled to find a last-minute replacement.

Keep reading for more on the drama….

Kelly Rowland appeared on “Today” as a guest in the 8 a.m. hour to promote her Tyler Perry-produced Netflix movie “Mea Culpa.” (She stars in the film, which she also produced.) She was also set to guest host the fourth hour of the show with Hoda Kotb. However, Kelly decided to pull the plug on the hosting gig because she and her team were displeased with her dressing room — Team Kelly apparently wanted the bigger dressing room Jennifer Lopez was occupying at that moment.

“Kelly and her team were not happy. They did not like the dressing room, so they decided to pull her off the show, leaving Hoda without a guest host for the 10 a.m. hour,” a source told Page Six.

Kelly Rowland’s sudden exit stunned “Today” show producers.

“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,” a source said, adding that Kelly and her team were playing a game of “musical dressing rooms.” The Destiny’s Child singer “didn’t like the one she was in.”

“Today” dressing rooms are known to be some of the smallest in the business, and Page Six’s source even compared them to “glorified closets.”

“They’re not nice. It’s the oldest building. There are major space limitations, [it’s] not glamorous. It’s not fresh flowers and candles and gourmet food. It’s basically [a] white box,” the insider said.

It seems that Kelly Rowland was offered multiple dressing room options, including a large utility makeup and hair area.

“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,” the Page Six source said.

Amid the drama, singer Rita Ora volunteered to step in. The “For You” singer took over the spot intended for Kelly Rowland — and delivered a flawless performance!