We now have a few days to break the news:
Hoda Kotb is leaving The Today Show.
After 17 years, the co-host shocked viewers on September 26 by saying the following:
“I realized that now, at age 60, it was time to turn the page and try something new.”
Kotb also mentioned her young children when making her announcement, making it clear that she needs to spend more time with her five- and seven-year-olds.
Of course, completely understandable.
Report will remain behind the Today Show desk until January 1 and will remain within the “NBC family” in some capacity thereafter.
But now we are forced to ask an obvious question: Who will replace Hota Kotb?
“The big contender everyone on the network is talking about is laura jarrett “She has a really strong chance,” an NBC insider tells Us Weekly.
“She is the anchor of Weekend Today; he’s like a lawyer [Kotb’s coanchor] Savannah [Guthrie]”She’s a favorite of the Today show who has grown very quickly.”
Laura is 40 and her mother, Valerie Jarrett, served as a senior advisor to Barack Obama during his administration.
She replaced Kristen Welker as co-anchor of the Today Show’s Saturday coverage in September 2023.
Other options also work for NBC these days.
there is craig melvin and there is Carson DeliAccording to this source.
“The other option is that they could move around the anchor,” the insider explains. “They could have put Craig with Savannah, or they could have put [3rd Hour Today cohost] chenille [Jones] With Savannah.
We have also heard talk in these parts about political and national correspondents jacob soboroffWith NBC News Now anchor tom llamas,
Both of these personalities are considered rising stars – and executives are aware that Al Roker, Lester Holt and Dateline’s Keith Morrison may all be retiring in the near future.
For their part, meteorologists dylan dreyer Spoke to E! News and was asked to predict who might fill TODAY’s soon-to-be-vacant anchor chair.
“I don’t think it would be a surprise if they named anyone from our core group of people,” he told Keltie Knight at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards, keeping things diplomatic and adding:
“When someone goes out we fill up all the way. I don’t know if anyone has made a decision yet, but if it’s one of the main group, I really don’t think it’s that surprising.
On revealing his future plans, Kotb said:
“Obviously my kids were born late in life, and I was thinking they deserve a bigger portion of my time than I have.
“I feel like we only have a limited amount of time. And so, all that being said, it is the hardest thing in the world.