Hoda Kotb Leaving ‘Today’ Show

Hoda Kotb is saying goodbye to Today. After nearly two decades at the news desk, and six years as a Today co-anchor, Kotb tearfully announced Thursday that she is stepping away from NBC News’ flagship morning show early next year.

An emotional Kotb made the announcement live on-air Thursday morning, citing her desire to spend more time with her two young daughters, Haley Joy, 7, and Hope Catherine, 4, whom she adopted in 2017 and 2019, respectively. She explained that she made the decision after turning 60.

“I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old, because I started thinking about that decade… I realized it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and try something new,” Kotb said while holding back tears. “I decided this is the right time for me to move on. 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. 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 got her start at NBC News back in 1998 when she joined the network as a correspondent for Dateline. She joined Today in 2007, co-hosting the show’s fourth hour alongside Kathie Lee Gifford, and in 2017, she was named co-anchor of the flagship hours of NBC’s Today following the ousting of longtime host Matt Lauer.

Reflecting on her time with the network, Kotb wrote in a written message to her colleagues that her “time at NBC has been the longest professional love affair of my life. But only because you’ve been beside me on this twenty-six-year adventure. Looking back, the math is nuts. 26 years at NBC News – Ten years at Dateline, seven on the seven o’clock hour, sixteen on the ten o’clock hour.”

“I’m picturing your faces and your families and all the ways you’ve lifted me up and inspired me,” she continued. “That’s my heart singing. So many of my professional relationships have become some of my most cherished friendships.”

Kotb added, “I’ve been weighing this decision for quite a while – Am I truly ready? But, my sixtieth birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift. Like a massive, joyful YES, you are! I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.”

Kotb will remain with Today through Jan. 1, 2025. Although she is leaving the program, Kotb said she “will remain part of the NBC family” in an unspecified role.