Hoda Kotb made history as co-host of the 'Today' show. Here's everything we know about her exit and what's next.

Hoda Kotb's days of getting up early for work Today The shows are coming to an end.

The host announced on September 26 that she will be leaving the morning show. Her last day will be January 1, 2025.

Kotb, who first joined NBC News as Deadline correspondent in 1998 and made Today show history when she was named co-host to Savannah Guthrie in 2018, will remain with the network in an unspecified role.

Kotb made the announcement on air while flanked by the Today She called her time at the network “the longest professional love affair of my life.” Her tenure also included co-hosting the network's popular fourth-hour show Todayfirst as Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda and currently as Today with Hoda and Jenna.

Kotb He said his decision She arrived after turning 60 in August. While “this is the hardest thing in the world,” she said, she felt ready to “turn the page” while on “the crest of the wave.” She said she looked forward to spending more time with her daughters, Haley Joy and Hope Catherine.

Half of TodayThe first all-female presenting team

In January 2018, Kotb joined Guthrie to make history on the show as the first female couple to host Todaywhich premiered in 1952. An all-female newsroom is a rarity on ABC morning television. Good morning America It was the first morning show to do so, starring Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer from 2006 to 2009.

The journalist had been replacing Matt Lauer, who was fired in November 2017 amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Kotb, who was born to parents of Egyptian descent, is also the second woman of color to hold a position on the Today Presenter's chair. (Ann Curry was the first, although it was a short run.)

Kotb has not only delivered news on air, but has also shared her personal ups and downs with Today viewers. That included documenting her breast cancer treatment, as she underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2007. She is also an advocate for adoption, sharing her experience of bringing home her two daughters in 2017 and 2019. Kotb became a mother for the first time at age 52.

She has shared deeply personal moments, including her youngest daughter Hope Catherine's health scare in 2023 and the end of her engagement to Joel Schiffman the year before. (Kotb and Schiffman continue to co-parent.)

What's next for Kotb?

Let's start by sleeping late. TodayThe co-host had been waking up every morning at 3 a.m. to go to work for years. That was before she moved from Manhattan to the suburbs over the summer, which made her wake up even earlier.

Now she'll be able to get her daughters ready for school. In September, she had to take a day off work to be present for their first day at the new school. (She later said she loved the field trip, wearing sneakers, carrying coffee and being “just like normal people. It was amazing!”)

In announcing her departure, Kotb spoke about her daughters and how they were at the center of her decision.

“Obviously I had my kids late in life, and I thought that… They deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. “It’s what I have,” he said. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time.”

Today with Hoda and Jenna Jenna Bush Hager told the New York Times It was “brave” of her co-host “to make the decision to be there for your family and give up something that we all love so much. I think she realized that she wants to wake up and see those faces.” (The article noted that Hager cried during the interview while discussing Kotb’s exit.)

Guthrie told the same outlet that she is “super proud” and, at the same time, “super heartbroken” by Kotb’s decision.

“It takes a lot of courage to leave a place where you feel so comfortable and so loved,” Guthrie said. “There’s nothing rushed about this.”

Kotb will remain at NBC News in some capacity. She told the New York Times that she is also interested in a possible venture into wellness, which she called “a beautiful, fertile, wonderful place to be,” but did not offer further details.

Kotb also currently hosts her podcast, Creating Space with Hoda KotbHe has also written several books, including I really needed this today: words to live by with inspirational quotes.

Her Instagram account is still filled with inspirational quotes, among photos of her life as a single mother. The one she published on thursdayJust before announcing his departure he said: “By the way, I carry the smile that you gave me.”