Hoda Kotb has announced her departure from the “Today” show, where she has co-anchored for the past six years. She communicated this decision in a letter to the show’s staff on Thursday, expressing mixed emotions about the change.
“My heart is all over the map,” Kotb wrote. “I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one.”
Kotb joined NBC News in 1998 as a correspondent for “Dateline” and became part of the “Today” show team in 2007. She began co-anchoring alongside Savannah Guthrie in 2018 after the firing of Matt Lauer due to sexual harassment allegations. Kotb and Guthrie made history as the first all-women anchor team for the program.
In her farewell letter, Kotb conveyed her appreciation for her colleagues, including Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager, and Al Roker. She referred to them affectionately in her note, calling Savannah her “rock,” Jenna her “ride-or-die,” and Al her “longest friend at 30 Rock.”
During Thursday’s broadcast, Kotb revealed that her decision to leave came after turning 60. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she stated.
Kotb intends to focus more on her family, particularly her two daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5. “My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead,” she wrote. “And now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.”
She plans to remain on the “Today” show until early 2025 and has confirmed her intention to continue with NBC, although she has not disclosed any details regarding her future projects. NBC has yet to announce who will take on the co-anchoring responsibilities following Kotb’s departure.