Hoda Kotb cries on last “Today” episode as Kermit sings 'Rainbow Connection' to her

Kermit the Frog made a rainbow connection with Hoda Kotb's tear ducts, as the Muppets star made the longtime Today show host cry with a sweet song on her last day as a permanent anchor of the beloved NBC morning show.

With her daughters seated on her lap and her colleagues — including Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Carson Daly, among others — surrounding her, Kotb stared into Kermit's eyes as he popped up from behind a couch to serenade her with a live rendition of "Rainbow Connection," the iconic tune from the 1979 classic The Muppet Movie.

Kotb wiped away tears throughout the performance, as she also mouthed some of the lyrics alongside Kermit as he made his way through the song, which was nominated for Best Original Song at the 1980 Oscars, before being selected for preservation in the Library of Congress in 2020.

Near the end of the song, Kermit prompted all of the Today personalities on set to join them in singing, and most of them complied.

Kotb and her colleagues applauded when the song finished, with Kotb thanking Kermit at its conclusion.

"That was extraordinary. I want to say thank you for that. I love you, I love that song, I love everything about it," Kotb said, while Guthrie praised Kermit for not getting "all emotional" like the rest of them.

The anchor's sister, brother, and nieces were also in attendance on the Today set to celebrate her last day the show, though the TV personality indicated that her mother was watching from home, and sent her a message of love on the air.

Related: Today show announces first celebrity guest hosts replacing Hoda Kotb in fourth hour

Kotb's last day ended with the morning TV icon standing outside the show's studio in New York City, surrounded by fans and peers wishing her well.

"Can I say thank you to every person who came out here? I read your cards, I got your bracelets, I got the scarves you crocheted, I read the texts, I got everything," Kotb said before the show ended, also thanking several behind-the-scenes staffers for their contributions to the program. "So, I just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming out, for being here, and for everything you did. I love you!"

Elsewhere on Kotb's last day, Oprah Winfrey and Jamie Lee Curtis commemorated the host's time on the show with sweet video messages.

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“From all of your fans and your friends — me included — thank you for being such a shining example to all of us of what’s really important and the reason that you’re stopping is the most important," Curtis said, referencing Kotb's previously expressed intention to spend more time with her family upon exiting the show. Added Winfrey: “Hoda, Hoda, Hoda, well, I know what making this decision feels like. I will assure that yes you have made the right move, although it has been very hard to do.... It will be the best decision for you and for your family."

Other tributes on Kotb's last day included a surprise appearance by Simone Biles and a special message from Maria Shriver.

Beginning next week, a roster of fill-in anchors will join the Today family in Kotb's absence, including Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, former GMA3 cohost Keke Palmer, and Academy Award nominee Scarlett Johansson.

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