Hoda Kotb‘s fans are still reeling after the television personality announced that she will be departing Today after working for NBC for over 26 years. The beloved broadcast journalist revealed on-air on September 26th that her 60th birthday last month inspired her to make a major change in her life and career.
“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said while sitting beside colleagues Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones. “I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.’ And I thought it can’t get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”
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Hoda Kotb’s Fans React To News Of Her ‘Today’ Departure: ‘Will Miss Seeing Your Face’
The mom of two (who shares daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 4, with her ex Joel Schiffman) noted that wanting to spend more time with her children was a big motivator for her choice to leave the show. “Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have,” Kotb said. She added: “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
Kotb also explained that she will continue her tenure with Today until early 2025, after which the anchor will transition to a yet-to-be-disclosed position within the NBC family. Soon after, Kotb shared a joint Instagram post and statement with The Today Show and Today with Hoda and Jenna regarding her departure. Fans flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts and note how much watching Kotb over the years impacted their lives.
“We will miss you so much but understand spending more time with your young girls,” one wrote as another added: “Oh will miss seeing your face in the morning!” An additional fan replied: “Hoda you have gifted millions of people so much joy throughout your career. I am so excited for you to hold it for yourself and your family in this next chapter.”
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Someone else concurred, commenting: “Damn, this feels like a gut punch. Beautiful letter. Her family deserves more of her time pie! Hoda, know we’ll take you in whatever capacity you can give us! How lucky we are to be so sad for it means we felt great love and joy.”
During the aforementioned episode, Kotb’s coworkers sweetly praised her work ethic and shared the many memories they made with her over the years. “We love you so much,” fellow anchor Guthrie told Kotb through tears. “And when you look around and see these tears, they’re love. You are so loved. We don’t want to imagine this place without you.
“So it’s complicated because we love you so much, and we don’t want you to ever go,” she went on. “But also I just want to say I am so proud of my friend. You have guts. For someone to leave at the top of their game, to leave something that’s wonderful that you love, where it’s easy and comfortable and beautiful and fun, and say, ‘But I dream bigger for myself into the great unknown.’ You have so much guts. You inspire me. I love you.”
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Bush Hager added: "It's not over. I'm going to be showing up at your house like the stalker you are to Zac Brown. I will be there on your doorstep, and we are your friends forever." Jones also said: "Hoda has a relationship with every single person on this couch in her own way, so I think we're all just kind of wrestling with it inside, but we also know what a dynamic mom you are, and presence you are. And your whole movement with wellness, you are going to change the world. And we know it."
Weatherman Roker sweetly told Kotb: "I have never known anybody like you. I've known you forever, and I love you." Melvin also shared: "People in this business, when that little red light, it goes off, they're different people. We've worked with all these people before. You're the opposite. That little red light goes off, you are exactly like people see you in the morning — just the biggest heart."
He went on: "You've been the heart of this show for a long time, and there's no replacing that."
Kotb, as fans and co-stars would agree, has been a cornerstone of NBC News for almost three decades, following her tenure at Dateline and her role as co-host of the fourth hour of Today alongside Kathie Lee Gifford and later Bush Hager. For over five years, she has shared the Today anchor desk with Guthrie.
In the latest emotional episode, Kotb reminisced about her connections with the production team, the entire staff, and the devoted fans who assemble daily in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza.
