Alert: Hoda Kotb Made the Unexpected Announcement That She’s Leaving ‘Today’

Hoda Kotb is leaving Today after 26 years working with NBC. The longtime host made the emotional announcement on Thursday morning.

“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said, per Today, before going on to recall her birthday: “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.”

Hoda added that she intends to spend more time with her kids, saying, “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. 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.”

FYI, the longtime host is set to stay at Today through January 1, 2025, and will remain in the “NBC family.”

“It’s kind of a big deal for me,” she mused. “I’ve been practicing so I wouldn’t cry, but anyway, I did.”

Hoda told Today staff about her decision via a letter, penning, “As I write this, my heart is all over the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one. And you all are the reason why. They say two things can be right at the same time, and I’m feeling that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.”

Brb, sobbing uncontrollably for the next two business days, hbu?

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