Hoda Kotb will step down as co-host of NBC’s “TODAY” show

Hoda Kotb, a The popular anchor of NBC News’ “TODAY” for nearly two decades announced Thursday that she would step down from the network’s flagship morning show after six years as co-anchor.

She said she made the decision after turning 60 in August. “At 60, I realized it was time for me to turn the page and try something new,” she said, fighting back tears.

Kotb has hosted “TODAY” with Savannah Guthrie since early 2018. They were the show’s first all-female hosting team.

Guthrie, visibly moved, said the “TODAY” team “can’t imagine this place without you.” Guthrie praised Kotb for her “courage” and said she is loved by all of her colleagues.

In a written message to her colleagues, Kotb said her daughters and her mother “need and deserve a bigger piece of my time pie.”

“I will miss you all terribly,” she wrote, “but I am ready and excited.”

Kotb said she will stay at “TODAY” until early next year. She paid tribute to her colleagues and joked that the “peacock feathers never disheveled…no matter who comes or goes,” referring to the NBC logo.

Kotb joined NBC News in 1998 as a correspondent for “Dateline.” She then covered a wide range of national and international news topics before joining the “TODAY” team in 2007, co-anchoring the fourth hour of the program with Kathie Lee Gifford.

This is a breaking news story. Please refresh the page for updates.