Hoda Kotb’s Final Day at ‘Today’ Celebrated With Laughs and Tears: ‘One Last Time, Let’s Do This’

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As her “Today” family dubbed her final day, “It’s a Hoda-bration!”

On Friday, Hoda Kotb was celebrated during her final day as host of “Today,” a position she’s held for 17 years. In September 2024, Kotb announced her intention to leave due to a desire to spend more time with her two daughters. Despite this departure, it is expected that she will continue to contribute to the show and NBC News as a whole following her exit.

At 7 am Eastern Time, a compilation of the morning’s news stories was shown, featuring a sneak peek of Kotb’s on-screen celebration. This caused Kotb and her co-anchor Savannah Guthrie to become emotional quite early in the show. After the introduction, they held hands, with Kotb saying, “One more time, let’s go for it.

Moreover, the crowd outside “Today” show was packed with people carrying signs bidding farewell to Kotb, such as “Thank you, Hoda! We’ll surely miss you!” and “Blessed by Hoda!”. Notably, other NBC News figures like Keith Morrison and Maria Shriver also honored Kotb during the initial broadcast.

Back in 1998, I became a part of NBC News. Later on, in September 2007, I took the helm as the first host of their fourth-hour segment. Then, in April 2008, the remarkable Kathie Lee Gifford joined me, and together we turned this segment into a cultural phenomenon. Our easygoing vibe and shared love for wine made us a hit on the show, and we continued our successful partnership until her departure in 2019. Since then, Jenna Bush Hager has been sitting beside me, taking over from Kathie Lee and maintaining the magic ever since.

In January 2018, after clocking in past the usual four hours, I was promoted to co-anchor of “Today” alongside Guthrie. This move came following Matt Lauer’s departure due to allegations of misconduct at work. As a dedicated movie lover and a committed news anchor, this change brought new challenges and opportunities for me on the show.

The festive atmosphere took a somber turn due to a distressing and hectic news cycle filled with events such as ongoing reports about the L.A. wildfires, a severe winter storm affecting the southern regions, and the looming sentencing of Trump for felony offenses.

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2025-01-10 16:17