After Hoda Kotb Announced She’s Leaving The Today Show, Insiders Dropped Claims About How People At The Show Reacted

As a long-time devotee of morning news, I must say that Hoda Kotb’s decision to leave The Today Show has hit me like a cold cup of coffee spilled on my freshly ironed shirt. After two decades of waking up with this radiant woman, it’s going to be a struggle to adjust to the new breakfast crew. However, I must admit that I understand her reasoning and appreciate her commitment to her family, especially her two little ones who deserve all her attention.

On social media, there’s a wave of emotion as Hoda Kotb shared her plans to depart from The Today Show in early 2025. This news has stirred hearts because she’s held a cherished role for so long. However, it seems that the staff behind the scenes at NBC were equally surprised by this revelation.

Following considerable introspection, Kotb conveyed that reaching her 60s signaled it was the right moment for her to move forward and start a new chapter in her life. Over the course of 26 years, she had been with NBC, with the last six years being spent as co-anchor for the first two hours of The Today Show. This decision represents a significant shift in her career, and it seems that this transition was not widely anticipated, as an insider shared with People magazine.

Most folks at the event were taken aback, but Hoda had carefully planned this out. She’d discussed it extensively with both Savannah and Jenna as well.

I was genuinely taken aback to learn this surprising fact, which she revealed live on air on September 26. The video below shows just how emotional everyone was about it. But, even though she’ll be hosting Today through the remainder of the 2024 TV schedule and well into early 2025, she’s giving her colleagues and viewers time to adapt to this change.

Moreover, it seems logical that Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager were the ones she allegedly shared her news with initially. Being her closest colleagues, they were the ones sitting beside her when she broke this bittersweet piece of news, holding hands as they did so.

It was further stated that Kotb took this action while considering her children, aged 7 and 5, in the process.

Eventually, she took charge of the decision, prioritizing her daughters’ well-being. At present, the focus lies on Hoda, rather than immediately filling vacant positions.

It’s been reported that an insider claims no clear successor has been chosen yet for Kotb’s seat, but there are whispers about potential candidates. One name often mentioned is weekend anchor Laura Jarrett, who could be a strong contender. Additionally, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if weekday regulars such as Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, or Carson Daly were also considered for the role.

For now, we’ve got Hoda scheduled for the initial segment of the 2025 TV lineup, so there’s no immediate concern regarding a substitute.

In essence, this departure signifies the closing of a significant phase for “The Today Show”, which is why it’s understandable that the team was taken aback by Hoda Kotb’s revelation. The source provided further details, explaining:

Certainly! Here’s my attempt:

Since assuming Matt Lauer’s role in 2018, Kotb has become an integral part of the first two hours of Today, significantly boosting her influence. Given that she had been co-hosting the fourth hour for eleven years prior to this, she has essentially been the face of three out of the four hours of the show for quite some time now. It will be difficult to see her leave, which explains why both the staff and fans were taken aback yet overjoyed for her future endeavors.

As we uncover more details about Hoda Kotb’s departure from The Today Show and who might succeed her, we’ll make sure to keep you informed. For now, you can tune in to catch her final days as co-anchor on NBC’s morning news program every weekday between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET, or with a Peacock subscription during the same time frame.

2024-09-28 18:37

Read More