Hoda Kotb said she left the TODAY anchor desk to spend more time with her daughters and her mother. She announced the decision on September 26, 2024, explaining that turning 60 helped her see she was ready for a new chapter—not citing a dismissal or a dispute with NBC.
What reason did Hoda Kotb give for leaving TODAY?
Kotb said her family needed more of her time. In a note to colleagues, she connected the decision to turning 60 and to the perspective that milestone brought: “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,” the Associated Press reported (AP report).
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On air, she described the choice as a decision to move on at the right time. “I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time,” she said, according to Axios (Axios report). The official TODAY video description captured the change as turning a page (TODAY video).
When did she announce her departure, and what was the timeline?
Kotb announced on September 26, 2024, that she planned to leave the TODAY anchor desk in early 2025. She said she had been weighing the decision; her 60th-birthday celebration on the Plaza helped make her feelings clear, the AP reported.
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At the time of that announcement, she had worked at NBC News for 26 years. She joined the network as a Dateline correspondent in 1998 and became part of TODAY in 2007. From 2018, she co-anchored the first two hours with Savannah Guthrie and also co-hosted the fourth hour with Jenna Bush Hager, according to the AP.
Was Kotb fired, or was her departure about NBC’s business decisions?
Kotb presented the move as her own decision and explained it in personal terms. The announcement did not say that NBC dismissed her or that a ratings issue, pay dispute, health concern, or conflict prompted her departure. Those explanations should not be treated as established facts.
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News coverage also discussed broader changes in the economics of television anchoring. That industry context is distinct from Kotb’s stated reason; it does not show that those changes drove her choice.
Was she leaving NBC altogether?
No. Kotb said she expected to remain part of the NBC family. Axios reported that she would be an occasional contributor, while the AP said she expected to stay part of NBC. The announcement did not define a specific continuing job, so it should not be read as a promise of a particular role.
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Axios also reported at the time that Kotb might pursue projects in the wellness space. That was described as a possibility, not as a confirmed plan or as her reason for leaving the anchor desk.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What her explanation does—and does not—establish
The clearest account is the one Kotb gave: after a long, meaningful broadcast career, she wanted to give more of her finite time to her daughters and mother as she entered a new decade of life. Her remarks explain her personal decision; they do not establish any separate behind-the-scenes cause.
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The announcement and timetable were reported in 2024. The sources cited here do not verify her current NBC role or whether the wellness projects mentioned at the time later materialized.
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