Oprah Winfrey Has Special Message for Hoda Kotb on Her Final Day on ‘Today’

Oprah Winfrey is sending Hoda Kotb a special message as the TODAY show co-anchor marks her last day on the NBC morning show.

Winfrey, who stepped away from her own talk show in 2011 after 25 years making media history, shared a pre-recorded message with Kotb during the Friday, Jan. 10 “Hodabration” show, giving her some advice about saying goodbye.

“Hoda, Hoda, Hoda. Well, I know what making this decision feels like,” Winfrey said. “I know how challenging it is to come to the moment where you say, ‘I have done it, I have done it, and now it’s time to move on to the next thing.’ And I will tell you that in the future, you’re going to look back and you’re going to say, ‘Was that the right decision? Did I do the right thing?’”

“And I will assure you that yes, you have made the right move, although it has been very hard to do,” the media mogul continued, “and I know that [daughters Haley and Hope] are going to benefit so much from this decision.” She concluded, “And whatever you decide to do in your next chapter, in the next adventure, it will be the best decision for you and for your family.”

Winfrey was one of several special guests who stopped by Kotb’s last day, either virtually or in person. Jamie Lee Curtis, Simone Biles, and Maria Shriver all made their way to the TODAY studio to bid their farewells, with Kermit the Frog even making a special visit to serenade Kotb and her two daughters with a song very dear to their hearts: “Rainbow Connection.”

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Kotb’s co-stars also said their goodbyes through plenty of tears, with her co-anchor Savannah Guthrie opening up about their special bond throughout all their years together. “She’s so special it’s almost beyond description,” Guthrie said. The longtime journalist and host praised Kotb as someone who is “about what matters” as she praised her ability to connect with people as she interviews them. “She reaches across with her eyes and her heart,” Guthrie gushed. People see someone who cares. She loves people. She’s the ultimate people person.”

“Hoda, I love you deeply. Whether you’re sitting next to me or not. Whether we’re waking up at 4 o’clock in the morning together or not, I will always be by your side, and you will always be by mine,” she said.