Hoda Kotb is finishing her tenure as co-anchor of TODAY.
In September, Hoda announced her decision to leave her position on the show, although she plans to remain a part of the NBC family.
As Hoda prepares to embark on her next adventure, here’s everything you need to know about her last day TODAY, from when it will be celebrated on the show.
When is Hoda Kotb’s last day TODAY?
Hoda’s last day as co-anchor of TODAY and co-host of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna is scheduled for January 10, 2025.
Are there any celebrations for Hoda before she leaves TODAY?
So, what kind of festivities can you expect before and on the last day of Hoda TODAY?
On December 18, Jenna Bush Hager shared with TODAY with Hoda & Jenna that her co-host would be celebrated the entire week leading up to her final day, set for Friday, January 10 of the new year.
“You all know that Hoda’s last day is January 10th, right?” We’ve been celebrating you all week before,” Jenna said before turning to Hoda and telling her there was a “big announcement.”
She then revealed a very special celebration for Hoda’s last day.
“We’re having a Hoda-bration for Hoda’s final show, and guess what? We’re going to have a live audience,” Jenna revealed.
“Wait, what?!” Hoda exclaimed.
Jenna added that the show will take place live from Studio 8G at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, where “Late Night with Seth Meyers” is filmed.
“There will be big surprises, a lot of surprises that Hoda won’t even know about,” Jenna said, adding that she hopes she can get through this without crying.
Tickets to see the show live have gone on sale but registration is now closed. During Hoda’s recent appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” the talk show host mentioned how quickly tickets sold out.
“I would love to tell people to buy tickets, but you put them online and they sell out in six minutes, so everyone comes,” Seth Meyers said.
However, fans can still tune in to watch the special episode of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna on January 10 from the comfort of their own home.
“I was just thinking coming in here because this would be a good time…and to think that the last one is going to be live on a Friday, that’s going to be pretty cool,” Hoda told Meyers.
Why is Hoda Kotb leaving TODAY?
When Hoda announced her departure from TODAY in September, she said celebrating her 60th birthday in August made her realize it was time for a change.
“I realized it was time for me to move on at 60 and try something new,” she told her family TODAY on September 26. “I remember standing outside looking at this beautiful group of people with these beautiful signs. , and I said to myself, “This is what the top of the wave looks like to me.” And I thought it couldn’t get any better, and I decided it was the right time for me to move on.
She said her decision to leave was also rooted in her desire to spend more time with her daughters: Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.
“Obviously I had my children late in life and I thought they deserved a greater share of my time than I did,” she said. “I feel like we only have a limited amount of time.”
She called leaving TODAY “the hardest thing in the world” but promised she would stay with the NBC family in some sort of role.
What will Hoda Kotb do after TODAY?
On October 25, Hoda shared that her friends’ advice had been “instrumental” in planning her future projects.
She explained that the big change ahead scared her, but she feels like it’s more like she’s “repotting,” a term she got from Maria Shriver.
“I love the term “repotting”. It’s like you’re being pulled by your roots, your foundation, everything that anchors you, and your roots are up in the air, and you’re afraid. “Where will I land?” she said.
Although Hoda didn’t share exact details about where her “repotting” journey would take her, she said she was “so excited about the wellness space.”
Hoda said she wanted to “live in wellness” after her stint on TODAY ended.
“I want to work in this space,” Hoda explained. “I want to get things started. I have things seeping inside that I hope to have fully formed soon.
While the specific details of Hoda’s next chapter may not be clear, she’s ready to throw herself into it with all her might.
“I love new adventures and I had the adventure of a lifetime,” she said. “And I think sometimes we’re afraid, because what’s better than that?”
She’s also looking forward to spending more time with her daughters after she leaves TODAY. For the most part, she’s excited about being able to take her daughters to school.
“It’s funny,” she said on the Dec. 18 episode of her “Making Space” podcast. “When I mentioned here that I was leaving the TODAY show, one of our producers came upstairs to the makeup room and she said, ‘I want to tell you something.’ She says: “My mother walking me to school every day was the best memory I ever had. »
“And all I want to do is take my kids to school,” she continued. “And it’s the simplest thing, with a cup of coffee, to accompany your children to school. But all the little things, you see growth.
Who replaces Hoda Kotb?
Craig Melvin was chosen to replace Hoda as co-anchor of TODAY alongside Savannah Guthrie.
Craig will begin his role as co-presenter on January 13, 2025.
“I’m beyond excited and grateful,” Craig told TODAY on November 14. “This is the latest in a long line of blessings.”
Hoda said Craig was “literally made for this job” when he was announced as his successor.
“You are what pretty good,” she added. “You have everything this job needs. You are the right person for this.
Craig will not be leaving his post in the 3rd hour of TODAY, as he is still scheduled to co-host alongside Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones.
He will not, however, appear during the fourth hour of TODAY, as he will debut under the TODAY title with Jenna & Friends on January 13. It will feature Jenna and a rotating cast of guest and game co-hosts until a permanent co-host is named.
