Many were shocked on September 26 when longtime NBC anchor Hoda Kotb announced she was leaving Today, with plans to retire from the morning show sometime during the 2025 TV schedule. Many fans shed tears right alongside Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones as the host spoke about turning 60, the family she has in her NBC colleagues and her reasons for taking this next step in her career. It was certainly an emotional speech, so you may not have noticed one adorable and important detail that ties directly into her exit.
Prominently displayed during the retirement announcement was Hoda Kotb’s necklace featuring a bejeweled letter “M,” which stands for “Mom.” The Today co-host said a big reason for the pivot in her career is to give daughters Haley Joy, 7, and Hope Catherine, 5, “a bigger piece of my time pie,” so how poignant was it that the “M” shined so brightly as she spoke?
Hoda Kotb has talked about her meaningful pieces of jewelry on Today with Hoda & Jenna, revealing in a 2022 episode (per E! News) that she has necklaces that read “Haley” and “Hope,” as well as one that says, “I love you Mama.” But when it comes to initials, she’s not rocking a “K” for her last name or an “H” for any of their first names. Kotb explained:
The 'M' is so me. That would be the initial I would want to wear if not my kids' initials. Because who knew that I was gonna get to wear that initial?
After battling breast cancer in 2007, Hoda Kotb reportedly was unable to bear children. She adopted Haley in 2017 when the news anchor was 52 years old and Hope followed in 2019. The girls seem to be Kotb’s primary motivation for leaving Today, as she said on the September 26 show:
Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.
She also said that turning 60 caused a shift in her thinking, and she acknowledged her fans, saying that seeing everyone outside with their signs made her realize she was at “the top of the wave,” and that “it can’t get better.”
However, her family experienced a scary health situation last year that theoretically could have played into her decision as well. In early 2023, Hoda Kotb was out for a couple of weeks, ultimately giving a tearful explanation upon her return that her younger daughter had been in the ICU. The Today host didn’t go into details about her daughter’s health but did say months later Hope was doing great, but they had a “longer road” ahead of them.
The host’s shocking and emotional exit announcement may still be fresh on fans’ minds, but even with months still to go before we say our final goodbyes, there are rumors circulating about who could replace Hoda Kotb. Laura Jarrett seems to be a frontrunner, as the weekend anchor has filled in on weekdays in the past and is reportedly held in high esteem at NBC.
This news also comes amid reports that Savannah Guthrie was planning her own exit, so it will be interesting to see how things play out over at NBC for the next several months. Either way, it will be impossible to see Hoda Kotb's “M” necklace now without thinking about just how important that initial is to her.