Dylan Dreyer Speaks on Future of 'Today' Amid Hoda Kotb Exit

Dylan Dreyer sees sunny skies in the Today show future, even in the wake of longtime host Hoda Kotb announcing her departure.

Parade caught up with Dreyer on the red carpet of the second annual People's Choice Country Awards on Sept. 26, airing just hours after Kotb announced that she would be stepping back from the NBC morning show after over 25 years at the network.

But despite the bittersweet news, Dreyer, 43, still predicts a bright future for Kotb, 60, and the rest of her Today show colleagues . Speaking exclusively with Parade over her friend's departure, Dreyer described the "hole" Kotb will be leaving on the show as being "in the shape of a heart."

"I don't think anybody doesn't look at Hoda and watch her on TV and think she's the heart and soul of the Today show," Dreyer shared with us at Thursday's event. "When you meet her on the street, you notice that it's genuine and it's warm and it's kind and she's somebody you want to be your friend."

Addressing how Kotb's exit will affect the show , the meteorologist said: "It's almost like if a sister moves away for a little bit...We still get by. We miss her, but we'll still get by. We'll be fine."

"And she'll be part of the Today show family for a long time," Dreyer further predicted.

Kotb, who first joined NBC News as a correspondent for Dateline in 1998, made a similar statement earlier in the day when announcing her departure from the show, telling her colleagues, "Family is family and you all will always be part of mine."

Next: 'Today' Co-Hosts Share Tearjerking Messages to Hoda Kotb After Resignation: 'You Are So Loved'