Hoda Kotb Says She and Ex-Fiancé Joel Schiffman Were 'Growing at Different Paces' Prior to Breakup: 'Hard to Be in Sync'

She praised her ex, with whom she shares daughters Hope, 4, and Haley, 7, as "one of the best people I know"

Hoda Kotb is shedding new light on her split from Joel Schiffman.

The Today show host, who just celebrated her 60th birthday, reflected on her 2022 split from Schiffman on the August 12 episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show, as she admitted that they were growing at "different paces."

"Joel is one of the best people I know. He really is a great human being," Kotb said. "And I feel like I'm a great human being. But sometimes two great human beings together isn't enough to make it work."

Elaborating on what went wrong after eight years together – and three years engaged – she said, "And I think when people are growing at different paces, it's hard to be in sync. And I think a lot of people are probably in these situations. And I get it."

Related: Hoda Kotb Celebrates Milestone 60th Birthday with Daughters and Ex-Fiancé Joel Schiffman: ‘My Party Was Perfect’

Now, more than two years on from the split, as she and Schiffman, 66, continue to co-parent their daughters Hope, 4, and Haley, 7, Kotb said she's confident there is "romance" in her future.

"I think it's realizing – like, when I close my eyes and I envision the romantic part of my life, I can see it very clearly. I see it. I know it is coming for me," she told Lima. "Because for the first time in my life, since after Hope, I am me. Someone's meeting me – not the version that you might want, or the version that I'll twist a little bit to fit your needs or what is appealing to you. But this is who I am. And I feel like, once you get there, you're like, your heart rests."

As for what she's looking for, the Today with Hoda & Jenna co-host added, "I don't even care about X, Y and Z. Tall, short, bald, not bald. I don't care. But I know the essence and I can sense the soul of that person.'

"So is love coming? Yes. It's coming. When is it coming? I don't know," she said.

Related: Hoda Kotb Reveals What She Currently Has 'Space' for When It Comes to Her Dating Life (Exclusive)

On her birthday, Kotb told PEOPLE that she's guided in life by a single mantra: "Right on time."

She first heard the saying during a phone call with Robin Roberts in 2017, when she shared that she was adopting Haley. "I said to Robin, 'Can you believe I'm going to be a mom in my 50s?' and she said back to me, 'That baby is right on time.'"

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"Some people, they'll say, 'Oh, everyone around me is married and I'm single, why hasn't it happened for me?' Or, 'Why don't I have that job?' But you can't live on other people's timelines, you have to ride your own ride," she continued.

"It's about trusting that life is going to give you what you want when the timing is right. You need to have faith. These blessings are coming your way, you just have to believe you're worthy of them."

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