Hoda Kotb garnered a big uptick in her fanbase during her coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for Today over the past few days.
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The journalist saw all that fan love sent to her and more after she shared her bittersweet feelings about a new development.
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Hoda revealed that she'd be leaving Tokyo to return to New York City and go back to work at the Today Show studio, now that the Olympics were winding down.
She expressed her feelings about it in an emotional post, which included a picture of her waving to the Olympic rings from the balcony of her hotel.
READ: Hoda Kotb makes emotional discovery about her daughter during time apart
"Tokyo... thank you for showing us such kindness. You were magical. I'll miss you," she wrote in the caption, with a heart, an American flag, and a Japanese flag as accompaniment.
© Photo: InstagramThe journalist bid Tokyo goodbye in bittersweet fashion
Fans flooded the comments section with incredible amounts of love for her, sharing how much they'd enjoyed her coverage of the Games.
One fan wrote, "I love how you have become the Olympic mom. Your enthusiasm when cheering on these athletes is infectious," and another said, "Hoda you're a national treasure." A third added, "You have done an amazing job!! Safe travels home!"
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The journalist got an immense amount of positive reception from viewers of the Games and NBC News for her enthusiastic approach towards her job and the participants, plus her general excitement and peppy nature.
Hoda's warm and enthusiastic behavior towards the athletes garnered her a lot of love
Her videos where she loudly cheered on each athlete during their events have started rolling in the views and as a result, Hoda will be coming home a lot more popular than before.
She'll be joining her colleagues Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker, who've already returned to the city, back in the studio, not to mention their newly named Olympics mascot, Hinode.
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