“Today” present co-host Hoda Kotb was celebrated Friday with an hours-long send-off — termed a “Hoda-bration” —to mark her closing episode internet hosting the flagship NBC morning present.
Naturally, the community had rather a lot in retailer to bid farewell to the veteran broadcaster as she ended her 17-year stint on “Today.”
Kotb’s former third-hour co-host Kathie Lee Gifford pulled a bait-and-switch and stunned her colleague with an in-studio look after claiming in a video tribute that she couldn’t make it as a result of she was tied up with different obligations in Tennessee. “Tonight Show” star Jimmy Fallon popped in to “Hoda & Jenna” to reward Kotb a framed piece of carpet from the 30 Rockefeller Heart elevators. And journalists Maria Shriver and Gayle King — the “CBS Mornings” host who is commonly mistaken for Kotb — stopped by to have fun the outgoing anchor.
Her mom additionally stopped by the studio, as did Kotb’s daughters, Hope and Haley. Her daughters have been joined by Kermit the Frog, who sang “Rainbow Connection” to Kotb. And nation singer Walker Hayes sang a soulful model of “Wednesdays,” which Kotb co-wrote, that closed out the episode. After being joined onstage by the complete “Today” present employees, Kotb drove off in her minivan along with her youngsters.
The Emmy winner additionally co-hosted the fourth hour of this system with Jenna Bush Hager, who is about to start internet hosting that hour solo on Monday. Craig Melvin, who has been among the many co-hosts of the present, will now host the 7 a.m. hour starting with Monday’s broadcast.
Guthrie, Hager, Melvin and fellow co-hosts Al Roker and Carson Daly have been additionally amongst these on set for the send-off Friday, and tears fell in nearly each section. A star-studded video tribute featured NBA star Dwyane Wade, Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, “Wicked” star Kristin Chenoweth, gymnast Simone Biles and Oprah Winfrey wishing Kotb properly in her subsequent chapter.
“Hoda’s everyone’s sister, and she’s like a sister to me … She’s so special. It’s almost beyond description,” Guthrie stated in a pretaped interview. “ She’s had challenges [such as battling breast cancer], and they made her stronger, increased her empathy and made her stronger 10,000-fold. People see looking across from them someone who cares. She loves people. She’s the ultimate people person.”
“This is not a goodbye letter. This is a love letter, a love letter to you,” Kotb stated in her closing section of “Hoda & Jenna,” studying a prerecorded message she had written for the printed.
“It went from ‘Hoda Woman’ to ‘Hoda Mama’ when Haley was born. I held Haley, and you held me. You supported me, the cards, the comments, the letters. I read them all, and then Hopey came too.”
Kotb stated “a new era started” when she and Hager teamed up in 2019. Their run collectively included “six unforgettable years of uncontrollable laughter and pure friendship” throughout which she fell in love with Hager’s tears and her “vulnerable, lovable self.”
“Along the way, you invited me into your lives, your triumphs, your special moments and your celebrations. Having a front-row seat to all of this truly helped shape who I am. Thank you so much for letting me be part of your journey,” she continued as video of memorable moments with viewers performed.
“I have become who I am on this hour of this show, and you are there with me every step of the way. So as I sit here today in my final moments, on this final day in this chapter of my career, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my very full heart for the ride of a lifetime. I love you.”
