Savannah Guthrie Breaks Down in Tears After Hoda Kotb Announces She’s Leaving ‘Today’ Show

Hoda Kotb shockingly announced she is leaving Today, making Savannah Guthrie incredibly emotional. The announcement came during the Thursday, September 26, episode of the talk show.

“There’s no way there wasn’t going to be tears,” Savannah, 52, said during the broadcast, as she wiped tears from her eyes. “Hoda we love you so much. When you look around and see these tears, they’re love. As you are so loved. And honestly, I don’t think any of us could imagine … we don’t want to imagine this place without you.”

“So it’s complicated because we love you so much and we don’t want you to ever go,” Savannah added. “But also, I just have to say I am so proud of my friend. You have guts. For someone to leave at the top of their game. To leave something that’s wonderful, that you love, where it’s easy and comfortable and beautiful and fun and safe. But I dream even bigger for myself into the great unknown. You have so much guts. You inspire me. I love you.”

Hoda, 60, first announced her Today departure in a letter to staffers.

“As I write this, my heart is all over the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one. And you all are the reason why,” she wrote. “They say two things can be right at the same time, and I’m feeling that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.”

After turning 60 last month, Hoda, who is a mom to daughters Haley and Hope, felt like it was time to usher in a new era of her career.

“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said. “I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.’ And I thought it can’t get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”

She said that her final Today broadcast will be some time in early 2025. However, she will still be remaining a part of the NBC family.

“Happily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I’ve been lucky enough to hold close to my heart,” the beloved TV host revealed.

Savannah and Hoda made history when they became the first-ever pair of female coanchors on Today in 2018 after Matt Lauer was fired from the network. They celebrated five years as coanchors in 2023.

“Can I just say that the stuff that we show on TV is fun, but the stuff I love the most is the stuff that’s not on TV,” Hoda said at the time. “I’m just thinking about our morning — just this morning — and there are so many (moments) just like that, that happen before the cameras all go on, and we really get to be us.”