{"id":17985,"date":"2025-06-02T18:48:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985"},"modified":"2025-06-02T18:48:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:48:48","slug":"hoda-kotb-moved-audiences-as-she-revealed-what-she-misses-most-after-leaving-today-and-its-not-the-spotlight-amid-the-quiet-moments-of-everyday-life-a-particular-emptiness-has-beg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985","title":{"rendered":"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions."},"content":{"rendered":"

When Hoda Kotb announced her departure from NBC\u2019s\u00a0Today<\/em>\u00a0show five months ago, it wasn\u2019t with a dramatic farewell or teary final segment. Instead, it was with grace, gratitude, and the quiet anticipation of a new chapter. Now, as she settles into life beyond morning television, Kotb is opening up about what she truly misses\u2014and surprisingly, it\u2019s not the spotlight.<\/p>\n

The 60-year-old journalist and beloved co-anchor of\u00a0Today<\/em>\u00a0has long been a familiar face in American homes. Her warmth, authenticity, and infectious laugh were a daily comfort to millions. But as she tells\u00a0PEOPLE<\/em>\u00a0in an exclusive cover story, leaving the show has created a kind of void that even her exciting new ventures haven\u2019t fully filled.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/ins><\/ins><\/div>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

\u201cI miss walking into a room and having an instant daily connection that you don\u2019t have to put on a calendar,\u201d Kotb shares. \u201cI saw Savannah [Guthrie] and Jenna [Bush Hager] every day, without fail, and we shared our lives. It\u2019s so funny. It\u2019s not the work part of it, but I miss that a lot. It\u2019s like an empty space for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her words have resonated deeply with fans, especially those who understand that some of the hardest parts of letting go are not the roles we leave behind, but the people, the rituals, and the rhythm of connection.<\/p>\n

Though she\u2019s no longer anchoring live television each morning, Kotb isn\u2019t exactly slowing down. She\u2019s been investing her energy into a new venture:\u00a0Joy 101<\/em>, a wellness-focused platform that includes a mobile app, live events, and a subscription newsletter. The company centers around mindfulness, wellness, and, most importantly, joy\u2014a value Kotb has always held close.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/ins><\/ins><\/div>\n

\u201cOn the very first day, I was scribbling in my journal and feeling a little off,\u201d she recalls. \u201cThere was a big, huge, full moon and it was so bright in my office, it was like a light was on. I still remember looking up and Haley [her daughter] scampered down the stairs and jumped in my lap. She looked at me and said, \u2018You really are here.\u2019 It was really, really beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s these simple, grounding moments that inspired Kotb to create\u00a0Joy 101<\/em>. The experience of being present for her daughters, Haley, 8, and Hope, 6, reminded her of what matters most. In the whirlwind of morning shows, breaking news, and public life, those sacred pauses had become rare.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Still, there are unmistakable traces of longing in her words. In one poignant recollection, Kotb describes having coffee with Savannah Guthrie just over a week ago. \u201cWe laughed, we cried, we held hands,\u201d Kotb says. \u201cShe asked me, \u2018Tell me what it\u2019s like on the other side.\u2019 And I said, \u2018I\u2019ll tell you what I miss: I miss this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Guthrie feels the same way. \u201cI\u2019ve missed her giggle so much,\u201d she tells\u00a0PEOPLE<\/em>. \u201cShe could really walk in a room, giggle, and everything in the world just fades away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite her departure, Kotb has made several trips back to Rockefeller Center. She continues to record her podcast\u00a0Making Space<\/em>\u00a0from the\u00a0Today<\/em>\u00a0offices, and recently surprised viewers by co-hosting an hour with Jenna Bush Hager. \u201cEvery time I walk in, I feel warm and fuzzy,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s not like when you break up with someone and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh God, there he is!\u2019 I don\u2019t feel that. I want to see everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s even taken joy in seeing new promotional images of the current hosts: \u201cThe pictures are now Craig [Melvin] and Savannah. I like looking at them. I\u2019m not like, \u2018Well that was quick!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Her graceful transition has been a masterclass in reinvention. Rather than clinging to a role out of fear of losing relevance, Kotb chose to follow the quiet call of a more intentional life. But as fans now understand, the decision was not without emotional complexity.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

There is something universally moving about someone so successful admitting to a sense of loss\u2014not for fame or career accolades, but for human connection. In a world obsessed with constant motion and reinvention, Hoda Kotb\u2019s story is a reminder that it\u2019s okay to miss the small things. That even joy can come with a shadow of longing. And that letting go doesn\u2019t mean forgetting what we love most\u2014it just means learning to carry it differently.<\/p>\n

As Kotb steps fully into this next chapter, millions continue to root for her\u2014not just because she brought them the news, but because she did so with unmatched humanity. And that, perhaps, is what they\u2019ll miss most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Hoda Kotb announced her departure from NBC\u2019s\u00a0Today\u00a0show five months ago, it wasn\u2019t with a dramatic farewell or teary final segment. Instead, it was with grace, gratitude,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nHoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions. -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions. -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When Hoda Kotb announced her departure from NBC\u2019s\u00a0Today\u00a0show five months ago, it wasn\u2019t with a dramatic farewell or teary final segment. Instead, it was with grace, gratitude,...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-02T18:48:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"administrator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"administrator\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985\",\"name\":\"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions. -\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-02T18:48:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-02T18:48:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/#\/schema\/person\/dd6d79e2639e598df1608cbfdfb86b06\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/#\/schema\/person\/dd6d79e2639e598df1608cbfdfb86b06\",\"name\":\"administrator\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3aa616fe0651f861132c90ce32df595?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3aa616fe0651f861132c90ce32df595?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"administrator\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/new50.info\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions. -","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions. -","og_description":"When Hoda Kotb announced her departure from NBC\u2019s\u00a0Today\u00a0show five months ago, it wasn\u2019t with a dramatic farewell or teary final segment. Instead, it was with grace, gratitude,...","og_url":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985","article_published_time":"2025-06-02T18:48:48+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg"}],"author":"administrator","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"administrator","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985","url":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985","name":"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions. -","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-02T18:48:48+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-02T18:48:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/#\/schema\/person\/dd6d79e2639e598df1608cbfdfb86b06"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/EWx64J-zl5ms4dI7VSTDiLm6i1Y=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)\/today_Hoda_KOTB-2-cc616bb0e0d6493da55572e41e32cf7b.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=17985#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/new50.info\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hoda Kotb moved audiences as she revealed what she misses most after leaving Today \u2014 and it\u2019s not the spotlight. Amid the quiet moments of everyday life, a particular emptiness has begun to linger in the heart of the veteran host. The story behind her decision to step away from the iconic show has unexpectedly touched millions."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/#website","url":"https:\/\/new50.info\/","name":"","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/#\/schema\/person\/dd6d79e2639e598df1608cbfdfb86b06","name":"administrator","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/new50.info\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3aa616fe0651f861132c90ce32df595?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3aa616fe0651f861132c90ce32df595?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"administrator"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/new50.info"],"url":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17985"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17985"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17987,"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17985\/revisions\/17987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new50.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}