Hoda Kotb on the moment she decided to leave NBC's Today show: 'I knew in my heart - this is it'

Hoda Kotb said that a moment during her 60th birthday celebration helped her come to the realization it was time to move on from the Today show. Hoda Kotb said that a moment during her 60th birthday celebration helped her come to the realization it was time to move on from the Today show The Norman, Oklahoma-born TV personality, 60, opened up on Monday's edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon about her decision to depart NBC after more than 25 years Kotb, who has co-anchored the first two hours of Today with Savannah Guthrie since 2018, said that she was comfortable in her career decision to leave the lucrative job. Kotb told Fallon, 'When I turned 60, something weird happened, man' She said amid a birthday celebration with staff, she thought to herself t, 'This is what the mountaintop must feel like,' solidifying her decision to depart Kotb said she was doing a 'repotting thing,' and she's confident she'll land 'in fertile ground' Kotb opened up about her 26 years at the network, calling it 'the longest love affair of my life.' Fallon credited Kotb for 'leaving on top,' adding, 'No one does this, by the way' Kotb opened up about her 26 years at the network, calling it 'the longest love affair of my life' Kotb ended her segment on an emotional note, getting choked up as she thanked Fallon for having her on In a memo to her team - and later in an emotional on-air reveal September 26 - Kotb said her 60th birthday this summer helped trigger the departure In a memo to her team - and later in an emotional on-air reveal September 26 - Kotb said her 60th birthday this summer helped trigger the departure.