while Hoda Kotb it’s sad to say goodbye to Today shows, she’s also excited about what’s to come.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever had a longing, a calling, a desire, and you can’t give it up, even if you try, because it’s safer to work at NBC. … But sometimes, you know there’s something else you want to try in your life,” Kotb, 60, said on the Friday, Oct. 25, episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna. “And I was so excited about the wellness space because I realized what was happening to me. I tried different things and noticed that my body was calmer. I was getting sick less. I was feeling better. I was a better parent, a better friend, a better sister, a better daughter. And I thought that all these tiny things that I was doing every day were helping to change me inside.”

When it comes to what he plans to do after he leaves Today early next year she announced: “What I want to do is live well. I want to work in that space. I want to get things started. I have things seeping in and hopefully I’ll have them fully formed soon.”

Kotb shocked fans of the NBC morning show last month by revealing she leaves Today early after 26 years at NBC. At the time, she mentioned that she was turning 60 and wanted to spend more time with her childare the main reasons behind her decision. (Kotb shares her daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, with her ex-fiance Joel Schiffman.)

Related: “Today” show hosts react to Hoda Kotb’s surprise exit

The news of Hoda Kotb’s exit from the Today show is bittersweet for her co-hosts. “I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What will he have for me?” Kotb, (…)

Shortly after, an NBC insider told the story exclusively We weekly that Kotb was “very focused” on wellness ahead of her first Making Space Wellness, which begins Friday at the Miraval Austin Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas.

From Friday Hoda and Jenna, Jenna Bush Hager she recalled her children’s strong reaction to the news of Kotb’s impending exit. “When I told my kids that Hoda was leaving, I might as well have said, ‘Daddy’s leaving,’ because they were like, ‘Wait, what? Why?” she joked. “They couldn’t understand and I understood, even though my heart was broken.” (Bush Hager, 42, share three children with her husband Henry Hager.)

She continued to gush about her co-host, stating, “I knew it was in her, this dream. And I also knew that this is the kind of woman that if she didn’t follow exactly who she is, exactly what her dreams are, then it wouldn’t be right. So, I’m so proud of her.”

Kotb also spoke about her decision to leave Today One video package later in the episode, noting that her choice was motivated by “the idea that somewhere, there should be a new adventure for me.”

She explained: “There’s a part of me that still hasn’t caught up with where I’m going. … 75 percent of me emotionally moved here, but when those chills come, like, “Should you do it? Is it a mistake? Uh oh, I remember there’s still a part of me that lives right here and that’s normal. Like, let it be. So yeah, it’s scary. Yes, it’s terrifying. It’s all those things, but it’s also exactly right.”

Related: Hoda Kotb’s Most Memorable and Touching ‘Today’ Show Moments

Nathan Congleton/NBC Hoda Kotb’s nearly 20 years on the Today show have been filled with many memorable moments. The TV personality announced in September 2024 that she would be leaving the iconic morning show after 26 years at NBC, 16 years as co-host of Today and seven years as Savannah Guthrie’s co-anchor. “I just got back (…)

Regardless of how other life changes occurred, Kotb said she never regretted making her choices. “Every time I did a jump, a move, a jump, it was like, ‘I’m falling in love.’ That’s what I told myself. “When I moved to this city, I fell in love. I’m going to fall in love with a place, a restaurant, a friend, I’m going to meet a boyfriend,’” she said. (Kotb moved outside of New York City in the suburbs with her daughters earlier this year.)

Calling his time Today “Unforgettable,” Kotb continued: “When you love something the way I love NBC, the way I love my job, it’s hard to say goodbye to it, because it doesn’t make sense. But there was something for me about recognizing a peak and saying at that peak, like, “I don’t feel like there’s an opportunity to make this any better than it is today.” And I think once that feeling hits you, you’ll say, “This is it.” I don’t want to spend my days trying to recreate the top of the mountain. It was glorious.”

It is not known who will replace Kotb as co-host on Bush Hager’s fourth hour and as Savannah Guthriehis coach. However, the NBC insider exclusively said Us last month that NBC Laura Jarrett he is a top candidate.

“She is the anchor Weekend Today; she is a lawyer like Savannah. She’s a sweetheart at Today show who rose very quickly,” the insider explained, adding that co-hosts such as Craig Melvin, Carson Daly and Sheinelle Jones could also be considered for the post.