Hoda Kotb tearfully announced her looming exit from TODAY on Sept. 26, 2024, eliciting even more tears from co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie (who weeped so much her fake eyelashes actually came off on air).
"I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new," Kotb wrote in a letter to her colleagues published Thursday. "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."
As far as where she plans to move on in her career and life? The answer may surprise you.
Related: What Hoda Kotb Earns at the Today Show As She Plans Her Exit
Why is Hoda stepping down from the Today show?
Kotb wrote in her letter that she wants to dedicate more time to her daughters. She shares Haley, 7, and Hope, 5 , with her ex, Joel Schiffman . Her 60th birthday celebrations helped drive her decision.
"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 explained . "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."
In February 2023, Kotb stepped back from Today temporarily while her daughter Hope had a health crisis . Though Kotb hasn't gone into the specifics of Hope's condition , she later told PEOPLE that she and her family were managing Hope's care on a long-term basis after Hope recovered from a "scary stretch," noting that she hired extra help to monitor Hope around Kotb's work schedule.
“It’s really tricky, because I don’t want Hope to get labeled," she said. "She’s a kid who is so vibrant, and most days everything is totally fine. I don’t want people to look at her differently.”
Related: Hoda Kotb on Turning 60: 'Everything Good Happened In My 50s'
What's next for Hoda Kotb?
Kotb first was named co-anchor of Today in January 2018 after the late 2017 exit of Matt Lauer , who was accused of sexual misconduct .
Prior to her anchor seat, Kotb was a co-host of Today 's fourth hour since 2007. Her career at NBC began as a Dateline correspondent in 1998.
Kotb won't co-anchor Today after some point in early 2025, but the beloved TV personality hinted that she won't totally leave NBC. Kotb will remain with the network in an as-yet-unspecified role.
"Happily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I’ve been lucky enough to hold close to my heart," she wrote in part in her letter to her NBC colleagues . "I’ll be around. How could I not? Family is family and you all will always be a part of mine."
Page Six reports that Kotb recently moved to the affluent Big Apple suburb of Bronxville, New York, ahead of her announcement. The outlet also said that an NBC source said they still "have time to work it out" regarding Kotb's future at the network, noting that she may still conduct special interviews and keep her podcast, Making Space with Hoda Kotb .
Related: Hoda Kotb Reveals the Surprising Celebrity Who Inspired Her Journey to Motherhood
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