What It Was Like Inside Hoda Kotb’s Last Day on the ’Today’ Show (Exclusive)

Hoda Kotb ended her final Today show Friday morning with what she's probably best known for—an abundance of laughter, tears and love.

"I have a blender of emotions going on around me like a tornado," Kotb exclusively tells Parade minutes after finishing the show, standing on the plaza holding her daughter Hope's hand. "And I'm trying to hold onto every little last moment of it."

After almost 18 years at the Today show, and six as its lead co-anchor, Kotb's final act involved colleagues Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager, Carson Daly and Craig Melvin, who flanked her on the couch much of the morning.

"You are going to be fantastic," she said to Melvin, who will be taking Kotb's place in the co-anchor's seat for the 7 and 8 a.m. hours, alongside Guthrie. "You are going to be magic."

A video tribute of Kotb's Today highlights included her dancing on the plaza with fans, and crying and laughing with Guthrie. When it finished, with Kotb in tears, she said to Roker, "You were the first person who when I got sick you said I would be ok."

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Dwyane Wade, Kristin Chenoweth and Jamie Lee Curtis gave their well wishes by video, with Curtis gifting Kotb a statue. Oprah Winfrey then shared words of encouragement. "I know that Haley and Hope [Kotb's young daughters] are going to benefit so much from this decision," Winfrey said, "and whatever you decide to do in your next chapter, in your next adventure, it will be the best decision for you and for your family."

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, whom Kotb has interviewed multiple times, came for a surprise, in-person visit. "I love you," Kotb said through tears. Good friend Maria Shriver then arrived on the set. "I’m so excited for you," she said.

Haley and Hope joined the co-anchor on the Today sofa as Kermit the Frog appeared in person behind them to sing "Rainbow Connection," which Kotb later tells Parade was one of her favorite moments of the day. "It reminds me of everything ahead," she says. "It reminds me of home."

Meanwhile, on the plaza, fans who had arrived as early as 4 a.m. in 20-degree weather gave her a cheering sendoff as they waved lavender pompoms, many in lavender hats (a favorite color of Kotb's). "Hoda, Hoda," they yelled as Kotb greeted the crowd one last time.

Kotb's last week at Today, dubbed a "Hoda-bration," included reunions, reminiscences, tributes and ample amounts of tears.

"I'm going to miss everything really," Kotb exclusively told Parade earlier this week. "I'm going to miss walking in the door and saying hi to the crew who's been there since 2:30 [a.m.]. I'm going to miss when Savannah sits next to me at 6:45, and for 15 minutes we pour out all of our innermost secrets.

Related: Hoda Kotb Reveals How She’ll Still Appear on TV With ’Today’ After Her Exit (Exclusive)

"I'm going to miss walking out on the plaza and seeing people who I feel like I weirdly know. I'm going to miss the hugs that come with that—it's such a beautiful part."

Soon after Kotb turned 60, she announced in late September the surprising decision that she'd be leaving the show. At the time, Kotb shared that she yearned to spend more time with her young daughters, Haley, who on Thursday celebrated her 8th birthday, and 5-year-old Hope.

Her new day-to-day will start with walking the girls to school from the family's suburban home outside of New York City, "holding their hands, listening to them talk about what's to come that day," she said. "You know what it is... it's the most mundane things that I've been missing."

"Life has its exclamation marks for the best days: It's a girl! She said, yes! You got the job! You won!" she continued. "And it also has exclamation marks on the other side: He didn't make it. The diagnosis is bad. They broke up.

"But most days are just Wednesday, just a plain old day. And I want to have those days. I want to have Wednesdays where I walk my kids to school, and I pick them up from school, and we throw hamburgers on the barbecue, and we crank up Taylor Swift, and I try to play the guitar as badly as I do. And that's it. That's all I want. Just Wednesdays. I want a lifetime of Wednesdays."

When she's not spending time with the girls, Kotb will be working on the launch of a wellness company that will include retreats, an app and a podcast, first revealing the plans on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

"I am excited," she told Parade. "I feel a little bit like a kid who's starting something. I'm 60, and I'm starting something brand new I've never done before. I kind of got hooked in the wellness space. I did a few things, and I was like, 'Why do I feel better?'"

"I'm talking about internal wellness," she continued, "all this stuff inside that makes you feel, gives you clarity and peace and makes you feel like you have a warm hand on your heart."

Related: Jenna Bush Hager Announces New 'Today' Guest Co-Host After Hoda Kotb's Departure 

The yet-to-be-named company is expected to launch in the spring, she said, adding: "I keep thinking this is going to be a great adventure."

Kotb's next chapter will also include a return to Today in the spring for once-a-month appearances and again covering the Olympics for NBC—the 2026 winter games in Milan and 2028's summer games in Los Angeles. Said Kotb: "So I get to just play with my friends again."

But for now, she bids adieu to her pals, and Friday morning, Kotb ended her goodbye as the show's co-anchor in a brief ride down 49th Street in a white Toyota Sienna minivan, along with her daughters inside.

Related: Hoda Kotb Gets Candid About a Difficult Time in Her Career