Hoda Kotb admitted it feels “scary” and “terrifying” to leave the TODAY Show after stepping down as co-host.
The veteran journalist, 60 – who announced her shock departure late last month – explained that while it was a difficult decision, she also feels it was “exactly right” and teased her future when she appeared on Today with Hoda & Jenna.
On Friday she said of her dismissal: ‘Yes, it is scary. It’s terrifying. It’s all those things, but it’s also exactly right.’
And after dedicating 26 years of her career to NBC, she said she wanted to “fall in love” with this new chapter of life — romanticizing the positive changes it could bring.
“Every time I made a jump, a move, a leap, it was like falling in love. When I moved to this city, I fell in love. “I’m going to fall in love with a place, a restaurant, a friend, I’m going to meet a friend,” she said hopefully.
Hoda Kotb admitted it feels ‘scary’ and ‘terrifying’ to leave the TODAY Show after stepping down as co-anchor
The TV personality compared her future to “repotting” a plant – “pulled out by your roots, your foundation, everything that grounds you and your roots are in the air.”
She wondered where she “landed” and explained that “a lot of life is about decision making.”
Reflecting on her time on the network, she said, “When you love something, it’s hard to say goodbye to it because there’s no point.
“But there was something for me in recognizing a peak and saying at that peak, like, ‘I don’t feel like there’s an opportunity that would make this better than it is now.’
“Once that feeling hits you, it’s like this is it. I don’t want to spend the rest of my days trying to recreate the top of the mountain. It was glorious. It was unforgettable,” she added.
The starlet also teased fans that they may be heading towards a career in wellness.
‘I want to work in that space. I want to start things. I have things that are seeping inside me… but I want you to come with me because let’s all be better! Why not?’ she said.
On September 26, Hoda shocked fans when she revealed in an emotional live explanation that she would have to say goodbye to the TODAY show.
“I just turned 60 and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 because I started thinking about that decade. Like, “What does that decade mean? What does it mean? What will it mean to me?” she said on air.
On Friday she said of her dismissal: “Yes, it is scary. It’s terrifying. It’s all those things, but it’s also exactly right’; seen in February 2024
She said she wants to “fall in love” with this new chapter of life – romanticizing the positive changes it could bring; seen in October 2024
The TV personality likened her future to “repotting” a plant – “pulled out by your roots, your foundation, everything that grounds you and your roots is up in the air”; seen in May 2024
The starlet also teased fans that they may be heading towards a career in wellness; seen in September 2024
The Emmy winner also penned a heartfelt letter to her colleagues with whom she has grown close during her nearly three decades on the show.
She read: ‘As I write this, my heart is on the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful decision. And you are all the reason why.
‘They say two things can be good at the same time, and I feel that so deeply now. “I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show,” she said.
