New Yorkers are going to have a new morning routine now that Hoda Kotb is leaving TODAY. Who will they listen to first thing in the a.m. as they sip their Cup of Joe? (FYI, here are a few of our favorite coffee shops in NYC if you need recs.
On September 26th, the longtime host revealed her plans to step down.
“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said on the Thursday show. “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.”
She will remain in her current role until January 2025. Once she does leave, she will still be affiliated with NBC, though she did not expand on what a potential new role would entail, or who would potentially step into her shoes.
A factor contributing to her departure are her two young daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.
“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,” she noted. “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.”
Through tears — though she promised not to cry — the host reflected on the relationships she’s formed with her co-workers, including Al Roker, Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daily, and Craig Melvin.
“I will miss each and every one of you at TODAY desperately,” she added.
This is a developing story. Check back for more information.