Hoda Kotb sobs on final ‘Today’ show: ‘That’s not fair’
Goodbye until tomorrow.
Hoda Kotb bid farewell to her “Today” co-hosts Friday during her last show as one of the morning program’s anchors.
Kotb, 60, announced she would be leaving “Today” back in September after 26 years with NBC.
Friday’s broadcast was an emotional one, capping off a week of special episodes dedicated to the beloved star. Kotb and co-host Savannah Guthrie, 53, shared several emotional moments together during the program.
“Can I just say thank you? I haven’t been able to articulate it, because I’m a mess most times, but I just want to say thanks,” Kotb said through tears. Wearing her go-to bracelets, she also showed off one Guthrie gave her that reads “with you.”
On her final day, she gushed that she’s feeling “loved and held.”
Her send-off also included a video message from Oprah Winfrey, and a special goodbye package from her co-workers.
“Hoda, I love you. I love you deeply,” Guthrie said to her longtime friend. “Like I always tell you: Whether you sit next to me or not, whether we get up at 4 am or not. I will always be by your side and you will aways be by mine.”
Al Roker chimed in: “She’s probably one of the most selfless people I know. I was gravely ill. I never had any idea how sick I was. I was in the hospital and Hoda was there if not every day then almost every day. It got the point where I think people actually thought she was a doctor.”
“That was not fair,” Kotb noted after watching the video, as she wiped away tears with a tissue.
During the broadcast, viewers were also seen holding up signs outside wishing Kotb good luck and noting they’d miss her.
Craig Melvin, who is taking over Kotb’s anchor chair following her exit, suggested that the window behind the “Today” desk should be named the “Hoda Window,” too.
At the top of the 9 a.m. hour, Kotb also got a special surprise from two visitors — daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, whom she shares with ex-fiance Joel Schiffman.
On Wednesday, Kotb and the “Today” team went out onto Rockefeller Plaza to say hello to people who brought posters and banners to show their affection for the departing host.
“It’s like an art installation and I think it shows how much everybody loves you Hoda, but also how clever our viewers are,” Guthrie said, per Hello. “There are so many wonderful signs, they are funny, they are cute, they are touching. It’s really been awesome to see everyone come out. People have come all the way across the country just to give you one more hug.”
She added, “I hope people come next week!”
Kotb’s exit has proved difficult for both her and Guthrie as the pair developed a strong bond over their years of working together.
In December, Kotb broke down in tears after receiving a Secret Santa gift from Guthrie — wishing candles with a special quote in a small frame.
“Ok, this phrase,” she began, getting choked up before revealing the quote: “May you find the light to guide you home.”
“It’s a beautiful song that Savannah gave to me every time I was going through something new,” Kotb revealed. “And you got candles! Oh, my God. It’s too much.”
The song Kotb was referring to is “May You Find a Light” by Josh Garrels.
“I thought you could put it on your desk in the morning when you’re reading your stuff,” Guthrie told her co-host.
“You know what I love about this the most? That’s your handwriting,” said Kotb, showing the framed quote to the camera.
The friends capped off the warm moment with a hug and telling each other, “I love you.”
When Kotb announced her exit in September, Guthrie took it the hardest among the on-air “Today” team.
“No one is taking the news worse than Savannah Guthrie,” Craig Melvin, 45, said on Sept. 26.
The camera then panned to a sad-faced Guthrie drinking rosé and eating her feelings.
“We love her so much,” Guthrie said, fighting back tears. “We can hold our sorrow of missing her and loving her so much with our gratitude that it happened.”
“I always tell my kids, don’t be sorry it’s over, be glad that it happened,” she continued. “And just the joy and admiration of her bravery.”
At the time she announced that she was leaving “Today,” Kotb explained the decision was motivated by a desire to “try something new” after turning 60 and wanting to spend more time with her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.
She’ll also kickstart her own wellness app and company, which will include trips and podcasts, and has signed a new deal with NBC to contribute exclusive interviews and cover the next two Olympics.
“I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me, because I started thinking about that decade,” she said on “Today” in September. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”
She continued, “I decided that this is the right time to move on.”
“Obviously I had my kids late in life and they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have.”
Still, Kotb added, “With all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
