Hoda Kotb announces departure from ‘Today’ show after 26 years with NBC News

(NBC News) — “Today” anchor Hoda Kotb revealed Thursday morning that she will be leaving the morning show after more than a decade.

In an on-air announcement, Kotb was surrounded by her coworkers when she shared the news that after a combined total of 26 years with the network, she would be exiting her regular a.m. position early next year.

Kotb said that after the milestone of her 60th birthday in August, she began to reflect on her life.

“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” said Kotb. “I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”

The long-time news anchor also shared that her children “deserve a bigger piece” of her “time pie.”

Tearing up, Kotb reached the emotional part of her message.

“I feel like we only have a finite amount of time,” said Kotb. “And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world. … It’s kind of a big deal for me so, sorry. I wasn’t, I seriously, I’ve been practicing so I wouldn’t cry, but anyway, I did.”

Viewers will be able to watch Kotb on “Today” through Jan. 1, 2025, at which point she will move into another role within NBC News.

According to her NBC bio, Kotb joined NBC News in April 1998 as a correspondent for “Dateline.” She has been the co-host of the fourth hour of “Today” since it began in 2007 and the co-anchor of the early morning version since January 2018.

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