Kathie Lee Gifford Reacts to Hoda Kotb Leaving TODAY: "Bittersweet"
The iconic duo hosted TODAY with Kathie Lee and Hoda from 2008 to 2019.
An outpouring of love and congratulations came flooding in when Hoda Kotb announced on September 26 that after 17 years at TODAY, she would be departing the morning show in early 2025. And then an especially meaningful message came from Kathie Lee Gifford, who was Kotb's co-host on TODAY with Kathie Lee and Hoda.
"Bittersweet news as my dear friend @hodakotb steps away from the Today Show," Kathie Lee wrote on x on September 27. "Her warmth, laughter, and incredible spirit have brightened our mornings and touched countless hearts. Here’s to new adventures!"
Gifford and Kotb co-hosted the fourth hour of TODAY for more than decade from 2008 to 2019, and their zany on-air antics resulted in countless hilarious morning TV moments.
In 2018, Gifford announced she would be leaving TODAY.
Sitting next to Kotb, she told viewers, "I thought I would stay one year. Something happened along the way — fell in love with a beautiful Egyptian goddess," she said, referring to her co-host. "We’re going to be friends for the rest of our lives. I’m grateful to God for you."
The love was obviously mutual between the two friends, as Kotb told her, "The minute you stepped into my life with both feet, everything changed."
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Gifford returned to the TODAY studio in March 2024, where she — along with her daughter Cassidy Gifford — sat down with Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, who asked her to reflect on her time at TODAY.
"I have always said to everybody that the most fun thing for me when I was here with you was watching you become that Hoda," said Gifford. "I remember saying to you, 'If you can be the same person on the air with me... as you are here in the hair and makeup, we're going to have a hit show!'"
Gifford was right, and years later they are still regarded as one of the most iconic duos in the history of morning television.
When is Hoda Kotb's last day on TODAY?
Kotb's last day as TODAY co-anchor will be Friday, January 10, 2025. TODAY's own Craig Melvin will be replacing her in the co-anchor chair, sitting next to Savannah Guthrie starting January 13.
"The larger staff found out this morning, and people broke into applause," Guthrie said when the news of Melvin's promotion was announced. "This is one of the most popular decisions NBC News has ever made. Congratulations."
