Hoda Kotb has been a regular with NBC’s Today since 2018, working alongside anchors including Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin, and Sheinelle Jones.
In addition, Hoda co-hosts the Today with Hoda & Jenna program on NBC and regularly appears on Today’s 3rd Hour.
This week, Hoda announced she is stepping down as co-anchor of Today to take on an unspecified role.
That brought a lot of reactions from Today fans and Hoda’s colleagues after finding out the news.
It has also raised many questions, including the major one: Who will replace Hoda today?
Her Today co-star, meteorologist Dylan Dreyer, shed some light on potential replacements.
Dylan addresses Hoda leaving Today
Dylan was one of the presenters at Thursday’s People’s Choice Country Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. While there, E! News asked her about Hoda’s departure and a possible replacement.
She called Hoda the “heart and soul of The Today Show” and believes that the group working there is “such a family” that anyone might step into Hoda’s role.
“I don’t think if they named anyone in our core group of people it would be surprising,” Dylan told E! News.
“We’ve all filled in along the way when somebody’s out. I don’t know if anybody’s made any decisions yet, but if it’s one of the core group, I really don’t think it’s that surprising,” she said.
Among the co-anchor possibilities with Samantha are the previously mentioned Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, Carson Daly, and Hoda’s friend Jenna Bush Hager.
In addition, Weekend Today co-anchors Peter Alexander and Laura Jarrett could also step in.
Hoda made her emotional announcement on Today
On Thursday, Hoda appeared on the couch with Today colleagues Al, Craig, Samantha, Jenna Bush Hager, and Sheinelle.
During some tearful moments, she announced her stepping down as a Today co-anchor due to her revelation upon her milestone 60th birthday.
“It was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old because I started thinking about that decade, like what does that decade mean? What’s it hold?” she said.
“And I realized it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” Hoda shared.
Savannah and others said they wanted to see her “shine” in her next journey and would be there “waiting” for her. However, it was also mentioned she isn’t necessarily leaving NBC or Today and would be around.
For her career, Hoda has spent six years with Today and 16 years with NBC.
Her Today co-stars said they would celebrate Hoda over the next several months, leading to her officially stepping down in 2025.
After Hoda’s on-air announcement, Craig got choked up speaking about how “people in [TV] business” act a certain way when the camera’s “little red light” goes off.
“You’re different. When that little red light goes off, you are exactly like people see you in the morning,” he told Hoda.
“Just the biggest heart and you’ve been the heart of the show for a long time. There’s no replacing that,” Craig said.