The broadcast news space is about to change, as the 2024 TV schedule will signify Hoda Kotb's full, final calendar year working for Today. Kotb announced last month that she’ll exit the morning show in early 2025. Needless to say, fans are in their feelings over the longtime host stepping back. As we get ready to say goodbye to Kotb following her successful, 15-year stint with the program, Kotb has clued fans in on what her next chapter looks like -- and I'm excited for what's to come.
On the latest episode of TODAY With Hoda & Jenna which aired on Friday, October 25, the hosts took the half hour to celebrate “making space” in life through wellness. At the top of the episode, the pair spoke about Kotb’s exit and how the theme of their Friday show was closely connected to what Kotb wants to focus on next. In her words:
I don’t know if you’ve ever had a yearning, a calling, a desire, and you can’t quiet it, even if you try. Because working at NBC is safer. … But sometimes, you know there’s something else that you want to try in your life, and I have been so turned on by the wellness space. Because I realized what was happening to me. I tried different things, and I noticed my body was calmer. I was getting sick less. I was feeling better. I was a better parent, a better friend, a better sister, a better daughter, and I thought all these tiny things I was doing day after day were helping to change me inside.
Hoda Kotb turned 60 years old back in August and, as she shared on the latest episode of TODAY alongside Jenna Bush Hagar, she’s been placing a lot of focus lately on her personal health. After taking time to understand her body and how to feeling like a better person in all aspects of her life as a result, she wants to spread her knowledge to the public as she transitions away from the morning program. As she continued:
So what I want to do is I want to live in wellness. I want to work in that space. I want to start things. I’ve got things that are percolating inside that I’m gonna, hopefully, have fully formed soon.
How exciting! Hoda Kotb may no longer be part of our morning weekday routines, but it sounds like she’s going to still devote her time to making people feel good by placing a focus on the wellness space. Right now, it's unclear how exactly that plan will manifest itself in her future. Nevertheless, it sounds like a wonderful way for Kotb to spend her time moving forward.
While sharing the news to the audience in Austin, Texas, the veteran journalist declared, “Let’s all get better!” You can check out her words on the subject on the new episode of TODAY With Hoda & Jenna, which is in full on YouTube below:
It was on Thursday, September 26 thta Hoda Kotb made the announcement she will leave TODAY, and the news apparently shocked co-host Jenna Bush Hagar. While one report suggests it could have been due to contract changes, Hoda Kotb cited the decision as a moment for her to “try something new” after turning 60. She's also the mother of two daughters, who are just seven and five years old, and her youngest faced a hospitalization last year that shook her.
Surely, the conversation about who could replace Hoda Kotb will continue in the coming months. Yet, for now, I’m so happy to hear a clue about what the host is placing her focus on next, because I think it’s worth her time and could touch a lot of people in a positive way.