Hoda Kotb admitted it feels “scary” and “scary” 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 while appearing on Today with Hoda & Jenna.
On Friday, he said of his resignation: “Yeah, it’s scary.” It’s terrifying. It’s all of those things, but it’s also exactly right.’
And after dedicating 26 years of her career to NBC, she said she wants to “fall in love” with this new chapter of life, romanticizing the positive changes it could bring.
“Every time I took a leap, a movement, a jump, it was like I was falling in love. When I moved to this town, I’m falling in love. “I’m going to fall in love with a place, a restaurant, a friend, I’m going to meet a boyfriend,” she said with hope.
Hoda Kotb admitted it feels “scary” and “scary” to leave the TODAY Show after stepping down as co-host.
The television personality compared his future to the “transplant” of a plant: “pulled from your roots, your foundation, everything that supports you and your roots are in the air.”
He wondered where he was “going to land” and explained that “a big part of life is making decisions.”
Recalling his time on the network, he said: ‘When you love something, it’s hard to say goodbye because it doesn’t make sense.
“But there was something for me about recognizing a peak and saying at that peak, something like, ‘I don’t think there’s an opportunity that can make this better than it is today.'”
‘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,” he added.
The star also teased fans about possibly moving toward a career in wellness.
‘I want to work in that space. I want to start things. I have things that are leaking inside… but I want you to join me on the journey because we all get better! Why not?’ she said.
On September 26, Hoda surprised fans by revealing that she should be parting ways with the TODAY show in an emotional live explanation.
‘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 will it hold? What will it hold for me?” he said on air.
On Friday, he said of his resignation: “Yeah, it’s scary.” It’s terrifying. It’s all of those things, but it’s also exactly the right thing to do’; seen in February 2024
He said he wants to ‘fall in love’ with this new chapter of life, romanticizing the positive changes it could bring; seen in October 2024
The television personality compared his future to the ‘transplant’ of a plant: ‘pulled from your roots, your foundation, everything that sustains you and your roots are in the air’; seen in May 2024
The star also teased fans about possibly moving toward a career in wellness; seen in September 2024
The Emmy winner also wrote a heartfelt letter to her colleagues with whom she has become very close during the nearly three decades she spent on the show.
She read: ‘As I write this, my heart is all over the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s painful. And you all are the reason.
‘They say two things can be right at the same time, and I feel that deeply right now. “I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show,” he said.