Today show fans likely know by now that Hoda Kotb will be departing after her final show on January 10, 2025 (mark your calendars!). NBC has also announced that Craig Melvin will step into Hoda's spot alongside Savannah Guthrie. Today With Hoda & Jenna will become Today With Jenna & Friends, featuring rotating co-anchors alongside Jenna Bush Hager.
Amid all this change, Good Housekeeping spoke with Hoda in October about what's next for her, where she revealed her plans to build a wellness brand. While the Today mainstay is confident in her decision to step away and spend more time with her daughters, leaving NBC after almost 3 decades is understandably bittersweet.
When asked what she'll miss most once she leaves Today, Hoda had the sweetest answer. "I will miss my early morning intimate conversations with Savannah and Jenna the most," she told GH. "When you're bleary-eyed at four or five in the morning, when you have had a tough night with your kids or whatever it was — when you walk in, that's when you're super vulnerable."
"There's something about being with people during that time, and that's when you confess it all," she continued. "And I'll miss that because Savannah and I have had some incredible therapy sessions moments before we go on air. It's literally, 'Pass me the tissues. Okay, 3, 2, 1, go.' And it's crazy."
Hoda also opened up about her working relationship with Jenna over the years. "With Jenna, when I hop in the makeup room with her, we could sit for hours (and often do)," Hoda shared about her Today With Hoda & Jenna co-host.
"Sometimes she'll just give me a look, and I'll just feel it all come out. I feel like that kind of thing is rare, and I'll miss that. I'll miss the daily check-ins. I'm going to obviously be friends with them forever, but I know the daily stuff won't be the same, and that is what makes me sad."
We'll miss seeing Hoda on our TV screens every morning, but we're so happy about her upcoming adventure.
Jamie (she/her) is the news and SEO editor at Good Housekeeping. She oversees GH's digital news strategy, assigning and editing celebrity and entertainment news content. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she was the digital editor at Woman's Day. She has over 7 years of professional experience writing and editing lifestyle content for the Rachael Ray Show, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Insider, Elite Daily and more. She holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and lives in Brooklyn with her cats Lumos, Linus and Milo.
