Hoda Kotb is ready to devote more time to her family.
On the Thursday, September 26, episode of Today, Kotb, 60, announced she would be exiting the long-running morning show, citing wanting to spend more time with her family as one of the reasons for her upcoming departure. In the past, the beloved co-host has frequently taken time off of the show to attend to her family. Kotb told viewers during the episode that she wants her children to have more of her time. “Obviously, I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have,” the journalist remarked. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time.”
Hoda Kotb is seen on the NBC Today Show at Rockefeller Plaza on September 06, 2024 in New York City. The beloved ‘Today’ co-host is leaving the show to spend more time with her daughters, whom she shares with ex-fiance Joel Schiffman.
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Kotb shares two adopted daughters with ex-fiance Joel Schiffman: Haley, 7, and Hope, 5. The former couple first adopted Haley in 2017 and then Hope in 2019. After Kotb adopted Hope in 2019, she called into Today to discuss the incredible bond her two daughters have. “I just feel like she’s [Haley’s] got a life partner, and I can’t tell you how that fills my heart to know that there is somebody who is gonna hold her hand all the way through life,” the TV anchor gushed. Kotb also described the joy she gets from seeing her mother, Sameha, interact with her girls. “I’m just happy I get to watch my mom hold my daughters,” Kotb admitted. “I get to watch that happen, which again in my wildest dreams was never, ever, ever gonna happen.”
Unfortunately, Kotb’s daughter, Hope, has had some severe health issues that led to the TV personality missing multiple weeks of her co-hosting duties. In March 2023, the best-selling author became emotional when she spoke about the situation. “My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week,” the broadcast journalist stated. “I’m so grateful she’s home. She is back home. I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
Earlier this month, Kotb discussed a big transition for her family — moving them out of Manhattan and to the suburbs. “We’ve had seven great years in the city with kids, and that’s amazing, but I also think kids need to have their feet in the grass and in the dirt,” the mom of two remarked. “I love the city life and I wouldn’t have traded any of those years.”
Kotb took to her Instagram on Thursday to reiterate that this new chapter of her life will involve her mom and daughters getting more of her time. “My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie,” the Dateline alum wrote.
While Kotb will surely be missed on TV screens, it seems she is ready to give a large piece of her “time pie” to her family.
