Is Hoda Leaving ‘The Today Show?’

The Today Show has long been a revolving door of bizarre segments and co-anchors, but for years there’s been one constant in the form of Hoda Kotb.

The beloved presenter and journalist, who first joined The Today Show in 2007, has long steered the ship of the series, outstaying her former longtime co-host Kathie Lee Gifford and having since shared the desk with Jenna Bush Hager for five years. 

Alongside this years-long role, Kotb has enjoyed stints at CBS News and Dateline, though she remains a permanent fixture at NBC as the host of the fourth hour of The Today Show. Kotb is basically a part of the furniture at this point, which makes questions about how long she will continue on The Today Show all the more pressing. 

Is Hoda Kotb leaving The Today Show?

By all accounts, Hoda Kotb will continue as the co-host of The Today Show, though rumors of her departure are not completely baseless. The presenter sparked concerns that she was leaving her decades-long role in Mar. 2024, when she was absent from The Today Show for an entire week. Her inevitable return to the desk alongside Hager was seemingly short-lived, as Kotb was again missing from the second half of an episode that aired on March 27. 

During that episode, Kotb was replaced by fill-in anchor Willie Geist, but neither he nor Bush addressed why Kotb was absent for the remainder of the episode. Kotb was again missing in multiple episodes throughout April, but it seems the absence was to do with family matters and work assignments, and not a sign that she was leaving. It was later revealed that Kotb’s week-long absence in March was due to a tropical Spring Break trip she took with her daughters, whom she shares with her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman. 

The day-long absences in April were because Kotb was traveling to New Orleans to film a story assignment celebrating her and Hager’s fifth anniversary as co-anchors. Meanwhile, the reason behind Kotb’s absence from the second half of the March 27 episode remains unknown. While she doesn’t appear to be moving networks, Kotb has been open recently about the experience of moving homes with her two children, saying during an episode of her Making Space podcast that she was “thinking about moving” her kids to a new school and area.

It’s welcome news for those who’ve grown to love Kotb as a staple on The Today Show, and while Geist tries his darndest, he can never capture that loveable Kotb magic.