Hoda Kotb has announced that she will leave TODAY early next year but will remain part of the NBC family.

In tears, she told TODAY on Sept. 26 how celebrating her 60th birthday in August made her decide to make a change.

“At 60, I realized it was time for me to turn over a new leaf and try something new,” she said. “I remember standing outside and looking at this wonderful group of people with these amazing signs, and I thought, 'This is what the crest of the wave feels like to me.' And I thought, it can't get any better than this, and I decided this is the right time for me to move on.”

Hoda's intention to spend more time with her daughters Haley (7) and Hope (5) also played a role in her decision.

“Obviously, I had my children late in life and I thought they deserved a bigger piece of my time pie than I had,” she said. “I feel like we only have a limited amount of time.”

“And all in all, it’s the hardest thing in the world.”

She said she will stay at TODAY through Jan. 1, 2025, and will remain part of the NBC family in an unspecified capacity.

“This is a pretty big deal for me,” she said through tears. “I practiced not to cry, but I did it anyway.”

Hoda has been a fixture at NBC News for nearly three decades, having previously worked on “Dateline” and as co-anchor of the fourth hour of TODAY with Kathie Lee Gifford and then Jenna Bush Hager. She and Savannah Guthrie have co-anchored TODAY for more than five years.

“We love you so much,” Savannah said tearfully on TODAY. “And when you look around and see those tears, it's love. You are so loved. 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 leave,” she continued. “But I also want to say I'm so proud of my friend. You have guts. For someone to leave at the peak of their career, to leave something wonderful that you love, where it's easy and comfortable and beautiful and fun, and say, 'But I dream bigger for myself, the great unknown.' You have so much guts. You inspire me. I love you.”

The TODAY family shared emotional messages with Hoda on the show.

“It's not over,” Jenna Bush Hager said. “I'm going to show up at your house like the stalker you are to Zac Brown. I'm going to show up at your door and we're going to be your friends forever.”

“Hoda relates to every single person on this couch in her own way, so I think we're all wrestling with that internally,” Sheinelle Jones said. “But we also know what a dynamic mother you are and what a presence you have. And your whole movement for wellness, you're going to change the world. And we know it.”

One of Hoda's oldest friends during her time at NBC was weatherman Al Roker.

“I've never known anyone like you,” Al said. “I've known you forever and I love you.”

Craig Melvin also acknowledged Hoda’s sincere friendship.

“The people in this business are completely different people when the little red light comes on,” Craig said. “We've worked with all these people before. They're the exact opposite. When the little red light comes on, you're exactly how people see you in the morning – just the biggest heart.”

“They have been the heart of this show for a long time and there is no replacing that.”

She reflected on her relationships with the people behind the camera and the rest of the team, as well as the TODAY fans who gather every day at Rockefeller Plaza to brighten her morning.

Hoda also sent a letter to TODAY staff on Sept. 26 announcing her decision to resign. Read the full letter below.