Kathie Lee Gifford has broken her silence on Hoda Kotb's shocking departure from Today.
The 71-year-old and Hoda, 60, co-hosted the fourth hour of Today for 11 years before Kathie left in 2019 and they have remained great friends ever since.
Following Hoda's announcement on Thursday that she is leaving the morning show after 17 years, her former co-host shared her thoughts on the news.
Taking to Instagram, Kathie shared a montage of throwback photos of her and Hoda on the news desk alongside a sweet message expressing her excitement for Hoda's future.
"Bittersweet news as my dear friend @hodakotb steps away from the Today Show," she penned on Friday.
She added: "Her warmth, laughter, and incredible spirit have brightened our mornings and touched countless hearts. Here's to new adventures!"
© InstagramHoda shared her surprise exit from Today with an emotional statement on Instagram, alongside a photo of her on the show.
She said: "My time at NBC has been the longest professional love affair of my life. But only because you've been beside me on this twenty-six-year adventure.
© NBC"Looking back, the math is nuts ... Because I’ll be working through the beginning of 2025, there's plenty of time to talk about what's ahead for all of us.
"But one thing I know for sure right now is this: everything's going to be just fine. The Peacock's feathers are never ruffled... No matter who comes or goes. TODAY and its amazing people — all of you — never waver."
© NBCShe added: "You always weather change with grace and guts. Happily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I've been lucky enough to hold close to my heart.
"I'll be around. How could I not? Family is family and you all will always be a part of mine."
© Getty ImagesHoda also discussed her upcoming departure on Thursday's show surrounded by her colleagues, including Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager, Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Craig Melvin.
Detailing the incredibly difficult decision, the mom-of-two shared that it was largely influenced by having recently turned 60, and the reflections that came with the milestone, as well as wanting to spend more time with her daughters, Hope and Haley.
© Instagram"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 does it hold, what's it going to have for me, and I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new," she shared.
© Getty ImagesShe also noted: "This is what the top of the wave feels like for me, and I thought, 'It can't get better,'" adding: "[My kids] deserve a better piece of my time pie that I have."
Her co-hosts were visibly emotional over the news, with Savannah, her co-anchor of over seven years, saying: "Honestly I don't think any of us can imagine – we don't want to imagine this place without you, so it's complicated because we love you so much and we don't want you to ever go."
