It’s been almost three months since Hoda Kotb made a huge announcement about her future on the Today show. And now, reality is setting in.
Hoda Kotb Gets Emotional at Last Rockefeller Tree Lighting
*Wipes tear*
Published Dec 8, 2024
•5:00pm
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KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images
This week, the talk show host, 60, celebrated the holiday season by hosting the annual tree lighting event at Rockefeller Center. Upon realizing it’s her last ceremony as a Today show anchor, Kotb got emotional and leaned on her co-host, Savannah Guthrie, for support.
The Today show shared a video on its official Instagram page and wrote, “Taking in the moment. It’s snowing at Rockefeller Center!”
Back in September, Kotb revealed that she’s leaving the Today show after 17 years. The anchor announced the news during an episode while surrounded by her Today family—Guthrie, Al Roker, Jenna Bush Hager, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones.
Through tears, Kotb opened up about why she made the tough decision, calling her milestone birthday a "monumental moment" that sparked some serious reflection on the next chapter of her life.
“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” she said.
Kotb confirmed that her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, were a big part of the decision. “Obviously, I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie,” she explained. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
Oh, how I’ll miss seeing you every morning, Hoda.
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