Hoda Kotb is feeling an outpouring of love from her fans after announcing that she will be stepping down from the Today show, ending her 26-year tenure at NBC.
“Happy Friday … thank you for the beautiful posts and notes. I’ve read every one,” Kotb, 60, wrote on Instagram on Friday, September 27.
“It’s almost too much for my heart to hold … so I’ll let it overflow — I love you more than you know … this post really resonated with me #joy.”
Kotb’s message was accompanied by a video clip featuring an inspirational quote.
The voiceover in the video, set to tranquil images of a forest, says: “When you finally realize that Joy is less fireworks, more firefly, less orchestra, more birdsong, she will come back much more often.
For Joy will not fight with the fast pace of this life. She is not in the shiny or the new. She breathes in the basic, simmers in the simple, and dances in the daily to and fro.”
The quote continues: “Joy has been calling to you for many years, my friend. You’ve just been too busy to notice.
The next time Joy wraps her quiet warmth around you, like a garden enveloping your weary body in its wild embrace, tip her a nod. She won’t stay long. But if you are a gracious host, Joy will return.”
Kotb first shared the news of her departure during the Today show on Thursday, September 26, and later followed up with a brief message of gratitude on Instagram.
“Happy Thursday xx and thank you,” she posted along with another inspirational quote that read, “By the way, I’m wearing the smile you gave me.”
On Thursday’s episode, Kotb explained that her decision to leave came after reaching a personal milestone—turning 60.
“It was such a pivotal moment for me when I hit 60, because I started reflecting on this decade.
What does it mean? What does it hold? What’s ahead for me?” she shared. “And I realized it was time to turn the page at 60 and look for something new.”
Reflecting on her 60th birthday celebration just last month, Kotb added: “I remember standing outside, surrounded by all these beautiful people with their wonderful signs, and thinking, ‘This is what the peak feels like for me.’
And in that moment, I knew it couldn’t get any better. That’s when I decided it was the right time for me to move on.”
Kotb also cited her role as a mother to her two daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, as a major factor in her decision.
“I had my kids later in life, and I just feel like they deserve more of my time, more of what I can give,” said Kotb, who shares her children with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman. “We only have so much time. And with that in mind, this decision has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to make.”
Kotb wrapped up her announcement by revealing that she would remain on the show until January 2025, after which she plans to stay within the NBC family for her next career chapter.
As of yet, no official replacement for Kotb as Savannah Guthrie’s co-anchor or as Jenna Bush Hager’s co-host on Today with Hoda & Jenna has been announced.
However, an NBC insider told on Thursday that “the top contender everyone at the network is discussing is Laura Jarrett—she has a very strong chance.”
The source added, “She’s the anchor of Weekend Today, and she’s a lawyer, just like Savannah. She’s a favorite at the *Today* show and has quickly risen through the ranks.”
News of Kotb’s departure led to emotional reactions from her Today show colleagues, particularly Jenna Bush Hager, 42.
“Hoda told me just a couple of days ago, and my first response, from deep within, was almost irrational. I said, ‘No, you can’t leave,’” Bush Hager tearfully shared during Thursday’s episode of Hoda & Jenna.
Bush Hager also revealed that she had called her father, former President George W. Bush, to share the news on Wednesday, September 25.
“He said, ‘She’s leaving because it’s time, and you’re going to be fine. It’s your turn. It’s okay,’” she recounted.
Kotb responded to her friend’s emotional remarks by standing up and applauding her before adding, “It’s your turn. And whoever takes this seat, whoever sits here, is going to have the easiest job in the world because they’ll be sitting next to you.”
