NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� a fixture at NBC for more than two decades, says she will leave her morning perch on the 鈥淭oday" early next year, telling staffers 鈥渋t鈥檚 time.鈥�
In a memo to her team and later on air, Kotb said her 60th birthday this summer helped trigger the departure. "I saw it all so clearly: 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.鈥�
Kotb has co-anchored 鈥淭oday鈥� with Savannah Guthrie since 2018, filling in after Matt Lauer was She first joined NBC News as a correspondent for 鈥淒ateline鈥� in 1998, and later joined 鈥淭oday鈥� in 2007.
Her goodbye note mentioned many of her co-workers, like Jenna Bush Hager and Al Roker: 鈥淪avannah: my rock. Jenna: my ride-or-die. Al: my longest friend at 30 Rock.鈥�
鈥淗appily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I鈥檝e been lucky enough to hold close to my heart. I鈥檒l be around. How could I not? Family is family and you all will always be a part of mine,鈥� she wrote.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
