When Matt Lauer left the Today Show in November 2017, there was some talk of NBC trying to find a replacement for their signature network morning show. I think the Lauer sh-tstorm meant that NBC was also wary of hiring another man though, so they just put Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb together as co-anchors. Hoda was already hosting the later hours of Today, so basically NBC hired “in-house.” It seemed to surprise everyone, including NBC, that Guthrie and Kotb really worked well as co-anchors, and that Hoda is such a fan-favorite anchor. Well, sad news. Hoda is stepping down and retiring from Today. It doesn’t sound like she’s got another job lined up, it sounds like she just wants to spend more time with her kids.
Hoda Kotb is bidding farewell to Today show anchoring duties after 17 years.
“As I write this, my heart is all over the map,” the journalist wrote in a letter to staff of the NBC morning show, shared Thursday, Sept. 26. “I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one. And you all are the reason why. They say two things can be right at the same time, and I’m feeling that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.”
Explaining her reasoning, Kotb added in part, “My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.”
She’ll stay in her current role until the beginning of 2025. But she won’t be absent from the network entirely after the new year; Kotb will remain on in some capacity, writing, “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.”
Hoda’s daughters are seven years old and five years old, just FYI. And she’s a single mom, and she just turned 60. I think she legitimately just wants to be home more and more of a hands-on mom. NBC executives are probably breathing a sigh of relief that she’s not exiting under a cloud of scandal. Plus, it doesn’t feel like ageism either – she wasn’t pushed out because of her age. If anything, NBC is probably really sad to see her go because she really is popular and stable for the brand. I shudder to think about what kind of d-bag they’ll bring in to replace her.
Hoda cried when she announced it this morning! She made me tear up a little too.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
