Hoda Kotb Announces Departure from NBC’s ‘Today’ Show After 26 Years
In a heartfelt and emotional moment on NBC’s “Today” show, beloved co-anchor Hoda Kotb has announced her decision to step down from the program early next year. The news, shared on Thursday morning, marks a significant chapter in Kotb’s illustrious 26-year career with NBC, where she has been a familiar and cherished face.
Kotb, who turned 60 earlier this year, revealed that her decision to leave the “Today” show was influenced by a deep desire to focus more on her personal life, particularly her two young daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, whom she adopted later in life. While fighting back tears on-air, Kotb told her co-host Savannah Guthrie and millions of viewers that it was “time to turn the page.”
“It was time for me to turn the page at 60,” she said. “I obviously had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have.” This decision, according to Kotb, was one of the hardest of her life, but she believes it is the right one.
Kotb’s departure comes after she became one of the most iconic and enduring figures in the morning television landscape. She first joined NBC in 1998 as a correspondent on Dateline. Over the years, she worked her way up, co-hosting the 10 a.m. hour of Today alongside Kathie Lee Gifford in 2008, and then with Jenna Bush Hager since 2019. In 2017, Kotb rose to further prominence when she stepped into the role of co-anchor of the main Today show, alongside Guthrie, following the departure of Matt Lauer.
Her partnership with Guthrie has been a defining feature of Today for the past five years, and the bond between the two was clear during Kotb’s emotional announcement. “We don’t want to imagine this place without you, so it’s complicated because we love you so much,” Guthrie said tearfully. She praised her friend’s bravery for leaving at the top of her game, calling Kotb an inspiration for dreaming bigger.
Kotb’s decision was spurred by a growing awareness of the importance of spending time with her family. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time,” she shared on-air. Her daughters, Haley and Hope, played a pivotal role in her choice to step back from the demanding world of morning television.
As she shared in her letter to the Today staff, the thought of leaving had been on her mind for quite some time, but it was her 60th birthday celebration on the Plaza that cemented her resolve. “That celebration felt like a shift. Like a massive, joyful YES, you are [ready]! I saw it all so clearly,” she wrote, reflecting on her remarkable career and the new decade of life ahead of her.
While Kotb is leaving her daily role on Today, she reassured her colleagues and fans that she will remain part of the NBC family, although her exact future role is yet to be specified. In her letter, Kotb expressed her deep gratitude for her time at NBC, calling it “the longest professional love affair of my life.”
Throughout her career, Hoda Kotb has been known for her warmth, authenticity, and ability to connect with both her colleagues and the audience. Her tenure at NBC has made her one of the most recognizable and beloved figures in broadcasting. Whether reporting on hard-hitting stories or sharing personal moments, Kotb’s presence has left an indelible mark on viewers.
Her co-host Jenna Bush Hager, with whom Kotb has co-anchored the Hoda & Jenna hour, also expressed her sadness about Kotb’s departure but reminded her that their friendship will endure. “I’m going to be showing up at your house,” she joked. “We are your friends forever.”
Other Today colleagues, including Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, and Carson Daly, all paid tribute to Kotb, emphasizing her consistency, heart, and kindness. “People in this business, when that little red light goes off, they’re different people. You’re the opposite,” Melvin said, praising Kotb’s genuine nature on and off the air.
Kotb’s departure is a seismic shift for Today, a show that has long been a cultural institution and a major profit-driver for NBC. Morning television shows like Today and Good Morning America thrive on stability, and network executives typically handle major transitions with extreme care.
However, Kotb is confident that Today and its team will continue to thrive in her absence. “Everything’s going to be just fine,” she wrote in her letter to the staff. “The Peacock’s feathers are never ruffled… no matter who comes or goes. Today and its amazing people — all of you — never waver.”
Though stepping away from her daily role, Kotb emphasized her ongoing relationship with NBC and the Today family. “Happily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I’ve been lucky enough to hold close to my heart,” she said.