Hoda Kotb announced on September 26, 2024, that she planned to leave NBC’s TODAY early in 2025. Her final official day was January 10, 2025. Kotb said she wanted to spend more time with her daughters and mother; Craig Melvin succeeded her as co-host of the program’s first two hours.
Why did Hoda Kotb leave TODAY?
Kotb said that turning 60 prompted her to reconsider how she wanted to spend her time. In a memo to colleagues, she wrote: “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.” The Associated Press reported that she shared her decision on air after telling colleagues. Asked about the announcement, she said, “This is the hardest thing in the world.” Associated Press, September 26, 2024.
That is Kotb’s stated reason. She described a personal choice to prioritize time with her family, not an immediate departure prompted by a publicly stated dispute or a specific career change.
When was Hoda Kotb’s last day on TODAY?
Kotb announced her plan on September 26, 2024, but continued on the program afterward. Her final official day was January 10, 2025, according to the Associated Press’s report on the succession announcement. Associated Press, November 2024.
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Who replaced Hoda Kotb as co-anchor?
NBC named Craig Melvin to succeed Kotb as co-host of TODAY’s 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. hours. That appointment concerns the first two hours of the show, where Kotb had co-anchored with Savannah Guthrie; it should not be confused with the program’s separate fourth-hour hosting arrangements. Associated Press, November 2024.
Was Kotb leaving NBC, too?
No network departure was announced. In her farewell note, Kotb said she planned to remain part of the NBC family and would still be around. That statement indicates her departure from the daily TODAY role, but does not specify a later NBC job, schedule, or pattern of appearances. TODAY, September 2024.
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How her roles on TODAY changed
- 1998: Kotb joined NBC News as a correspondent for Dateline.
- 2007: She joined TODAY.
- 2018: After filling in following Matt Lauer’s firing, she began co-anchoring the first two hours with Savannah Guthrie.
- September 26, 2024: She announced plans to leave TODAY early the next year.
- January 10, 2025: Her final official day on the program.
The Associated Press also described Kotb as a co-host of the fourth hour, first with Kathie Lee Gifford and later with Jenna Bush Hager. In a separate, later development, The Daily Beast reported on December 9, 2025, that Sheinelle Jones would join Bush Hager as permanent fourth-hour co-host starting January 12. That dated report described Jones as the first permanent fourth-hour co-host since Kotb left; it does not establish any lineup changes after its publication. The Daily Beast, December 9, 2025.
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