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It’s the end of an era. Hoda Kotb, 60, is abdicating the job that made her a household name — co-anchor of NBC mainstay the TODAY show. Per NBC, she made the announcement back on September 26, 2024. In emotional comments at the time, she explained that “it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old, because I started thinking about that decade,” she said. “Like, what does that decade mean, what does it hold and what’s it going to have for me? And I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”
As her tenure on the show comes to a close, find out who is replacing Hoda on TODAY.
Why Is Hoda Kotb Leaving TODAY?
According to TODAY, Kotb felt she’d reached her career “peak,” and indicated a desire to spend more time with her two daughters. “I knew that that was the best it was going to be,” she said in an interview with the show. “I was on top of the mountain, and I was looking out, and I said, ‘God, this is amazing.’” But, she says, it “underscored” a deep question. “…a week or so before, my little girl Hope was climbing a tree, and she loves this tree, and she was at the top,” she recalled. “And so, I said, ‘Look at you. You’re on top of that tree.’ I go, ‘What are you going to do — what are you going to do now?’” Hoda continued, “She goes, ‘I guess I’ll find a different tree.’”
Kotb says at that point she “kind of knew that it was time to try something different, and that means, you know, having my kids ride sidecar next to me more often than they have been.”
Who Is Replacing Hoda on TODAY?
Craig Melvin (Photo by John Nacion/FilmMagic)
According to the New York Post, broadcast journalist Craig Melvin will be taking over Kotb’s role. A permanent co-host for TODAY With Hoda & Jenna has not yet been announced. Rotating guest hosts will fill in the blanks until a decision has been made.
When Is Hoda Kotb’s Last Day on TODAY?
According to TODAY, Hoda’s last day as a co-anchor of the show, and co-host of TODAY With Hoda and Jenna will be Friday, January 10, 2025. Jenna Bush Hager announced on December 18 that a week of celebrations would precede Kotb’s departure. “We are having a Hoda-bration for Hoda’s final show, and guess what? We’re going to have a live audience,” she gushed at the time.
