What Happened During Hoda Kotb's Final 'Today' Episode? Celebrity Cameos & Emotional Moments
Hoda Kotb if officially saying goodbye to Today.
The 60-year-old longtime host appeared on air for her final episode on January 10. Her departure comes after she announced her retirement from the show in September 2024.
Her final episode featured some emotional moments and celebrity cameos from the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Simone Biles! What all went down? We’ve got the details for you.
Keep reading to find out more…
Hoda‘s final episode included tributes to her from coworkers, including her co-host Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Carson Daly and Craig Melvin, who will replace her on the show starting Monday (January 13).
The tribute, including an interview Savannah gave from the room where they get their makeup done before the show, left the longtime host deep in her emotions.
“That was not fair. Can I just say thank you? I haven’t been able to articulate it because I’m a mess most of the times. I just want to say thanks,” she said, via People.
She also spoke directly to each of them, describing Savannah as “my person.”
Her message for Craig was a resounding stamp of approval for him taking over the hosting spot. She delivered it with a bit of humor, though: “Craig, I’m so happy for you. You’ve earned this. You own this. And come Monday at seven o’clock a.m. I am going to be dead asleep, but you’re going to be fantastic.”
Other stars, including Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Simone Biles and Maria Shriver appeared throughout the episode.
Oprah provided some words of encouragement for Hoda.
“I know what making this decision feels like,” she said about moving on, via Variety. “I want to assure you that yes, you have made the right move, even though it was hard to do. Your children are going to benefit so much from this decision. Whatever you decide to do again in your next chapter, it will be the best decision for you and for your family.”
Meanwhile, Simone dubbed Hoda an “Olympic mom” and praised her for being so supportive and kind over the years.
If you missed it, Hoda recently revealed a new business venture. A report also shed light on her decision to depart the show.