Fans and celebrity guests alike will miss seeing Hoda Kotb in Today.
On September 26, Kotb, 60, surprised viewers when he announced that he would be leaving the show in early 2025. “I just turned 60 and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it contain? What will it have for me? she declared through tears. “And I realized it was time to turn the page on 60 and try something new.”
Kotb first joined NBC as a correspondent for Deadline in 1998. Ten years later, he joined the Today show how Kathie Lee Giffordco-host of the fourth hour in 2008. In 2018, she took over as Matt Lauer as Savannah Guthrieco-hosted Hour Four following his sexual misconduct scandal, and has co-hosted Hour Four with Jenna Bush Hager since 2019.
In announcing her upcoming departure, Kotb noted that wanting to spend more time with her daughters — Haley, 7, and Hope, 5 — played a big role in her decision to leave. Today. An NBC source exclusively told Us weekly that Kotb was also “very focused” on exploring the world of wellness, which she later confirmed in Today with Hoda and Jenna.
“What I want to do is live in well-being. I want to work in that space,” he shared on the October 25 episode of the show. “I want to start things. I have things percolating inside me that, hopefully, I will fully form soon.”
Scroll down to see how celebrities have reacted to Kotb announcing his end. Today run:
Mary Shriver
“So proud of my friend @hodakotb for following her heart in this next chapter!” Shriver wrote alongside a clip of Kotb's departure announcement. via Instagram on September 26. “May we all be inspired by your bravery, your bravery, and your willingness to see what's next. May we all trust in life's adventures and never become complacent. Let's keep learning, trying and seeing what else is out there! Hoda, I'm so excited for you and can't wait to see what the next chapter has in store for you!
Kotb credited Shriver for providing him with “guidance” throughout his career on the October 25 episode of hoda and jenna. “You followed your instinct and followed what you wanted, even though you were afraid. And I think that's very heroic. “I think it’s brave,” Shriver responded. “And I think we often think of people [who are] brave [as] people who ski down a mountain or climb a mountain. But it's really brave to leave something you love and walk into the unknown. It's really brave to think, 'There's something more for me out there.' I don't know what it is, but I'm going to walk towards this,' and that's what you're doing.”
She continued: “What I was just trying to do is remind you that you have done this before in different incarnations and that you know what you are doing, to believe in your voice, to believe in your instincts and to follow that. That was really my only role: 'You've got this.' You've always had it.'”
Mariska Hargitay
“I love you so much and I'm so proud and inspired by you and I was excited to see you today,” the actress said during an Oct. 1 interview with Kotb and Guthrie, 52. “And I am so grateful to be able to be with you.” I can say that because we've been together for 26 years, honey. And we’ve been together for 60 years, honey.” (Hargitay made her iniciación as Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 1999, shortly after Kotb joined Deadline.)
“And then when you made your decision, I said, 'Yes!' I said, 'Yes!' And my God, I'm sorry for all of us in this country who will miss you and, above all, for Savannah,” he added before offering to follow in Kotb's footsteps.
“[I’m] I’d be happy to jump in at any time,” she joked to Guthrie, who responded, “We might have to call you.”
Jimmy Fallon
Fallon said he “lost control” when he found out about Kotb's situation Today leave while chatting with the television personality on the October 7 episode of Tonight's show starring Jimmy Fallon. Kotb said his “favorite” card he received from friends after his announcement came from the late-night host, who simply said, “What the hell?”
“Hoda, what you do for this network, I can't even tell you. …Your life is going to change completely. “This is fantastic,” Fallon added. “You're going to go to concerts. You're going on dates. You are going to go to restaurants. You're going to watch bad television. “You’re going to do whatever you want because you don’t have to wake up at three in the morning.”
After Kotb clarified that he will stay within the NBC family after his Today Upon leaving, Fallon declared: “You can't leave us because we need you. The world needs you. We need you very much.”
cris martin
Kotb asked the musician if he and his Coldplay bandmates planned to retire after recording their twelfth album. Martin proceeded to mention the news of Kotb's retirement before joking that they were joining forces for a business venture.
“Aren't you retiring soon too?” he declared on October 8. “Hoda, I thought we had an agreement that we were going to do business together making cookies?”
later that day hoda and jennaBush Hager, 42, jokingly objected to the couple's hypothetical baking venture, saying, “I didn't know you were going to start a cookie-making business with Chris Martin.”
Trevor Noah
Reflecting on his departure in 2022 from The daily presentNoah offered Kotb some words of wisdom on starting a new chapter in his career.
“The only advice I'll give you is don't jump to everything else on the other side,” he shared on the October 9 episode of Today. “I made that mistake initially, and now I found a good cadence and a different rhythm that I go in, like, 'I don't have the same drive anymore, but it's good.' It's a different kind of feeling.'”
Henry Winkler
“I know a lot of people have sat here. “There are a lot of guests coming through this show that you've been doing for a long time,” Winkler said before diving into his interview on the October 15 episode of hoda and jenna. “You two make every guest feel like they are the only guest. And I just want to say on behalf of my wife Stacy [Weitzman] and I, we are going to miss you like the United States is going to miss you. Thank you for always making me welcome. You two have a chemistry that will be very difficult to fill.”
Jason Segel
After finishing an interview with Kotb on the October 16 episode of Todayhe Contraction The star made Kotb choke up after sharing some candid comments about the presenter. “I will miss you when you are gone,” he said. “I just want you to know that these interviews have been some of the best of my entire career. So, I’m really grateful to meet you.”
Kotb thanked Segel for his kind words by hugging him.
billy crystal
“I hope to come back before you leave because you have been great here for so long and every time I am here with you it is a very special feeling. So I hope to come back one more time,” Crystal said at the end of her interview with Kotb on the October 22 episode of Today.
Kotb, for his part, responded: “I hope so too. “That was really sweet.”
Molly Shannon
“Hoda, I wanted to tell you that I am very happy for your decision. “I've been thinking about you a lot and that's absolutely wonderful,” Shannon said on the October 29 episode of hoda and jennaadding that he can relate to Kotb's desire to spend more time with his children.
“And as a mom, I totally get it because it's kind of funny. My kids are in college now and it's crazy to get to that point,” she shared before concluding the conversation by saying, “I'm so happy for you, Hoda. “Jenna, you two are a joy.”
Bobby Flay
Flay proposed a possible television collaboration with Kotb while cooking with him hoda and jenna co-hosts on October 29. “Take some time off and then, you know what? “I want to bring you to Meals Community,” he declared. “You and I, Kotb and Flay, we're going to travel the world, we're going to eat, you're going to cook for me, I'm going to cook for you.”
While Kotb was delighted with the idea, Bush Hager made his feelings about the idea known. “I'm standing here,” she jokingly stated, to which Flay responded: “It's over. I'll take her to Meals Community. “She has given you all these years, but it is time for you to come to Meals Community.”
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