It’s an outcome we’ve expected since she announced it back in September, but Hoda Kotb is in the spotlight after her final day on The Today Show hit the 2025 TV schedule. For those who weren’t already crying after seeing the BTS photos of the last day, the tears may indeed flow upon hearing about the touching gifts she received from co-anchor Savannah Guthrie ahead of her highly publicized exit.
Guthrie, Al Roker and more paid tribute to their longtime co-worker in part by giving her some parting gifts as she steps away from the daytime program. Hoda Kotb told People about the many gifts she received from Guthrie, one of which was symbolic of her time on The Today Show:
Savannah just gave me a box, and it said, ‘Open me now’ and and it had two pom poms in it. She said, ‘You’ve been cheering everyone on, so now I want you to take these pom poms for you.’
Hoda Kotb intends to spend more time with her daughters while retired, but she has also made a vow to stick with her television friends. The former host said she’ll continue her friendships with Jenna Bush Hager and others into the new year. In short, I bet she’ll put those pom poms to use and continue to cheer on her friends even if she’s stepped away from the spotlight.
The presents from Savannah Guthrie didn’t stop at pom poms. Guthrie, who has gotten to know Hoda Kotb quite well to the point she wasn’t surprised by her retirement announcement. The Today Show host gifted her colleague some other personal items, one of which was symbolic of her future days of sleeping in. As she put it:
She put in a clock with a shattered face, and she said, ‘Charlie broke it,’ which is, you know, I don’t need an alarm clock anymore! And the last thing she gave me was this bracelet. She gave me this ring that says, ‘Love.’ And she gave me this bracelet that says, ‘With you.’ Let me tell you something about her: she always shows up. She always shows up. That’s what she does the best. She shows up for people, for her friends. She shows up.
Hoda’s exit comes with Craig Melvin stepping in as her replacement, and it seems he has some big shoes to fill. Based on the gifts alone, I would say The Today Show lost someone well-loved amongst the staff, which would explain her seventeen-year run on the program. Ugh, I feel like I’m getting emotional, and no one even gave me a sentimental gift!
While there hasn’t been talk of her returning to television, it seems Hoda Kotb intends to stay active in other endeavors after leaving The Today Show. She continues working on her Making Space podcast, which recently released an episode with Maria Shriver. Practicing mindfulness and preaching its benefits to others is an important thing for Kotb, who hosted a weekend retreat for people on those topics back in October.
While Craig Melvin has the gig in part of The Today Show duties, there are still questions on who will sit beside Jenna Bush Hager on a more permanent basis during her hour of the show. The hostess confirmed it’ll take some time before they settle on a replacement, nothing that Hoda Kotb was the queen and will be hard to replace. I think that’s an understatement, but I am eager to see who will fill the role and continue pushing the NBC program forward into the future.
The Today Show airs on NBC on weekdays beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET. It’s always a great way to start the morning and get an idea of what the day holds, assuming readers are the type of people who wake up that early in the morning.