Hoda Kotb, a fixture at NBC for more than two decades, says she will leave her morning perch on the “Today” show early next year, telling staffers “it’s time.” In a memo to her team — and later in an emotional on-air reveal Thursday — Kotb said her 60th birthday this summer helped trigger the departure: “I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful,

Hoda Kotb surprised viewers by announcing her upcoming exit from the Today show after 17 years on Thursday, September 26, and behind-the-scenes chatter about her replacement has already begun. “The big contender who everyone at the network is talking about is Laura Jarrett — she has a really strong chance,