Popular talk show host Hoda Kotb bids adieu to The Today Show, here’s why

Hoping to spend more time with her family, Hoda Kotb has decided to leave her morning talk show. The host of The Today Show announced on Thursday, September 26, by issuing a letter in which she said that, despite the difficulty, she thinks she made the right choice.

During the show’s Thursday airing, Kotb broke down in tears and said she wanted to spend as much time as possible on the show with her loved ones. Kotb was flanked by her co-hosts, Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hegar, and Al Roker, as she became emotional.

She stated overwhelmingly, “It was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.” The Today Show made Kotb’s letter public, which read, “As I write this, my heart is all over the map.”

She added, “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.”

In an effort to show their support for the adored TV anchor, the co-hosts also sent their best wishes for good fortune to Hoda Kotb. Guthrie continued by expressing her pride in her buddy, who is eager to start a new chapter in her life. The TV personality praised her co-host’s bravery for quitting the show at the peak of her abilities.

Guthrie mentioned, “Hoda, we love you so much, and when you look around and see these tears, they’re love, as you are so loved. Honestly, I don’t think any of us can imagine—we don’t want to imagine—this place without you. It’s complicated because we love you so much and we don’t want you to ever go, but also I just want to say I am so proud of my friend.”

She continued, “You have so much guts. You inspire me. I love you, and it’s not over. I’m going to be showing up to your house.”

Kotb went on to say during her appearance on the show that she had been thinking about making the choice for a number of months. However “my sixtieth birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift. Like a massive, joyful yes, you are! I saw it all so clearly: 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.”