‘Today’ show host announces she’s leaving early next year

NEW YORK (AP) — Hoda Kotb, a fixture astatine NBC for much than 2 decades, says she will time off her greeting perch connected nan “Today” early adjacent year, telling staffers “it’s time.”

In a memo to her squad and later connected air, Kotb said her 60th day this summertime helped trigger nan departure. “I saw it each truthful clearly: my broadcast profession has been beyond meaningful, a caller decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom request and merit a bigger portion of my clip pie.”

Kotb has co-anchored “Today” pinch Savannah Guthrie since 2018, filling successful aft Matt Lauer was fired amid intersexual harassment allegations. She first joined NBC News arsenic a analogous for “Dateline” successful 1998, and later joined “Today” successful 2007.

Her goodbye statement mentioned galore of her co-workers, for illustration Jenna Bush Hager and Al Roker: “Savannah: my rock. Jenna: my ride-or-die. Al: my longest friend astatine 30 Rock.”

“Happily and gratefully, I scheme to stay a portion of nan NBC family, nan longest activity narration I’ve been fortunate capable to clasp adjacent to my heart. I’ll beryllium around. How could I not? Family is family and you each will ever beryllium a portion of mine,” she wrote.