Top line

Longtime NBC broadcaster Hoda Kotb announced to “Today” staffers Thursday that she is leaving the morning show, five years after becoming co-anchor with Savannah Guthrie and after nearly 30 years with the network, citing a desire to retire and spend more time with her family.

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Important background

Kotb became a household name when she hosted the fourth hour of “Today” with Kathie Lee Gifford. Their show, “Kathie Lee & Hoda,” was known for its chemistry, banter and entertaining hour to close out the morning. Gifford announced her departure from “Today” in 2018, and Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of President George W. Bush, succeeded her. The hour has been called “Today with Hoda & Jenna” ever since. During her time at NBC, Kotb was nominated for 10 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning one for Outstanding Morning Program in 2022. She also received 11 News & Documentary Emmy nominations, winning one for Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Item in a Newsmagazine in 2010 for the “Dateline NBC” episode about the landing of a US Airways plane in the Hudson River.

tangent

Kotb, a Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree, has been open about her personal life during her time at the network. She shared her battle with breast cancer on “Today” in 2017 and had the show document her mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. In 2017 and 2019, she revealed that she had adopted baby girls with her then-partner Joel Schiffman, whom she split from in 2022.

More information

Forbes50 over 50: ImpactForbesPack Like – Today Show Co-Hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda KotbFrom Jennifer Ferris