Hoda Kotb Steps Down from NBC’s Today Show After 18 Years

Hoda Kotb, a beloved co-anchor of NBC‘s Today show, is stepping down after nearly 18 years on the air. Kotb announced her departure in September 2024, citing her desire to spend more time with her two daughters, Haley Joy and Hope Catherine, whom she adopted in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Her final day on the show will be Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, marking the end of an era for the morning news program.

Kotb, who joined Today in 2007 as the host of its fourth-hour slot, became a co-anchor of the 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. segments alongside Savannah Guthrie in 2018. Their pairing made history as the first all-female anchor team on network television. “We asked Hoda to step in in the interim, and our thoughts were, ‘Okay, we’re going to need a man, who will it be?'” Guthrie recalled in an October 2024 interview with PEOPLE. “But then it dawned on all of us that this was the most obvious, most sensible, and best choice.”

Kotb’s decision to leave was driven by her desire to prioritize her family. “I knew that I wanted this decade to be different. I looked at my time like a pie. I was like, this is how much time I get, and now what am I going to do with it and how am I going to carve it up? And I wanted it to be filled with more of them,” she told PEOPLE, referring to her daughters. Kotb also admitted that the grueling 3 a.m. wake-up calls for the show had taken a toll on her.

Craig Melvin, who currently hosts the third hour of Today, will replace Kotb as co-anchor alongside Guthrie starting Jan. 13. Meanwhile, the show’s fourth hour, now rebranded as Today with Jenna & Friends, will feature rotating guest co-hosts alongside Jenna Bush Hager until a permanent replacement is named.

Kotb’s departure has been marked by a week-long celebration dubbed “Hoda-bration,” which included reunions with former colleagues and heartfelt tributes. She was also gifted a special painting by author Charlie Mackesy, a nod to her love of art and literature.

Looking ahead, Kotb plans to focus on wellness and family. She revealed plans to launch a wellness app and company, which will include podcasts and retreats. “I kind of got hooked in the wellness space a couple of years ago,” she said during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “I started doing stuff that I thought seemed woo woo and weird, and then all of a sudden, as I was doing it, I was like, ‘Wait, I feel calmer, I feel better.'”

Kotb’s new venture is set to launch in spring 2025. She also recently moved to the suburbs of New York with her daughters, seeking a quieter, more family-oriented lifestyle. “I want my kids to feel grass on their feet, and play in the yard, and ride bikes down the street, and run up and down the stairs,” she told PEOPLE. “I just see that life for them in this perfect house in this beautiful little town where I know they’ll be able to blossom into beautiful, independent, strong women.”