Viewers of The TODAY Show are wondering where Hoda Kotb is going after she leaves the morning show. The anchor announced on Thursday, September 26 that she would be retiring in early 2025, noting that her 60th birthday made her want to spend more time with her two adopted daughters. That said, while she will be remaining on the show for at least the next three months, we have a hint of where Kotb is heading.
What will Hoda Kotb be doing after retiring from NBC morning show?
Hoda Kotb will be remaining with NBC after retiring from The TODAY Show in “an undisclosed role.” So at the very least, she’s not leaving the network and continuing her career.
This is according to an article on the show’s site, which shares a letter that Hoda wrote to the staff. In it, she reiterates that she will “remain a part of the NBC family,” calling it “the longest work relationship [she’s] been lucky enough to hold.” Since she will still be working with her colleagues on the show through to the beginning of 2025, she says “there’s plenty of time to talk about what’s ahead” for them moving forward.
In April, Hoda shared on her podcast “Making Space” that she wakes up at 3 a.m. every day. Her morning routine before coming into work typically includes meditation, a dog walk, a workout, journal writing, and love letters to her daughters. As such, she stated that part of the reason she’s stepping down is that she wanted her daughters — Haley (7) and Hope (5) — to have a “bigger slice of her time pie,” suggesting that this will be a factor when it comes to whatever her new “undisclosed role” for NBC will be.
Hotb has been a co-anchor for two hours with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY as well as a regular in another hour with Jenna Bush Hager and Kathie Lee Gifford. NBC has yet to decide whether someone will be stepping into the roles she will be leaving. Potential replacements for Hotb include co-anchor Craig Melvin or Tom Llamas, who has filled in on The TODAY Show in the past.
As noted by Variety, morning anchors on broadcast TV are among the most highly paid positions in the news business. But as viewers leave traditional TV, these top-tier contracts are under “new scrutiny” at ABC, CBS, and other networks. It notes that the average audience for The TODAY Show, Good Morning America on ABC, and CBS Mornings has decreased, falling by 8 to 11% from 2020 to 2022.
