Hoda Kotb gives advice for her REPLACEMENT on the Today show amid shock exit

Hoda Kotb has revealed her tips for the fortunate newsman who fills her spot connected the Today show pursuing her upcoming departure.

Kotb, 60, volition beryllium exiting the amusement pursuing 26 years with NBC News adjacent twelvemonth and announced her exit unrecorded on-air past month. 

During an interrogation with People, she advised whoever ends up replacing her beryllium '1000%' themselves on-air. 

Kotb, who co-hosts the 4th hr with Jenna Bush Hager and co-anchors Today with Savannah Guthrie, besides recommended her aboriginal replacement springiness their workfellow the accidental to 'shine.' 

'Whoever's funny successful that seat, and it's possibly the champion spot successful television, I deliberation the champion proposal I person is to beryllium 1,000% who you are, due to the fact that that's truly the key,' she said. 

'And the different thing, too, is sometimes to me, portion of the magic is to beryllium capable to delight successful the idiosyncratic sitting adjacent to you. It's specified a tiny thing, but sometimes erstwhile you're with someone, if you conscionable fto them shine. Give everyone a second, due to the fact that who wants to beryllium the idiosyncratic astatine the cocktail enactment who's talking each the time?' 

Kotb announced past period that she volition beryllium leaving Today aboriginal adjacent year.

The long-time anchor, who archetypal joined Dateline NBC successful 1998 earlier yet landing her existent relation arsenic co-anchor, shared the astonishing update successful a heartfelt connection to her 'Today family' unrecorded connected air.

Hoda, who has been portion of NBC News for 26 years, was instantly moved to tears arsenic she explained to her chap co-hosts turning 60 had been a 'monumental moment' that made her determine it was clip to 'try thing new'.

The TV icon - who reportedly earns astir $8 cardinal a twelvemonth - besides wrote a missive explaining her 'painful' determination to her colleagues, explaining further that marking her 60th day sparked a seismic 'shift' successful her life.

'As I constitute this, my bosom is each implicit the map,' Hoda said. 'I cognize I'm making the close decision, but it's a achy one. And you each are the crushed why. They accidental 2 things tin beryllium close astatine the aforesaid time, and I'm feeling that truthful profoundly close now. I emotion you and it's clip for maine to permission the show.

'My clip astatine NBC has been the longest nonrecreational emotion matter of my life. But lone due to the fact that you've been beside maine connected this twenty-six-year adventure. Looking back, the mathematics is nuts. 26 years astatine NBC News - Ten years astatine Dateline, 7 connected the 7 o'clock hour, sixteen connected the 10 o'clock hour.'

She continued: 'I'm picturing your faces and your families and each the ways you've lifted maine up and inspired me. That's my bosom singing. So galore of my nonrecreational relationships person go immoderate of my astir cherished friendships.'

She went connected to wage a bosom breaking tribute to her 'ride-or-die' Jenna Bush Hager and claimed she volition 'desperately' miss everyone she has worked with connected the fashionable greeting show.

'Savannah: my rock,' she continued. 'Jenna: my ride-or-die. Al: my longest person astatine 30 Rock. Craig, Carson, Sheinelle and Dylan: my family. Libby, Mazz and Talia: my fearless leaders. I volition miss each and each 1 of you astatine TODAY desperately.'

The TV prima added that she has been reasoning agelong and hard astir the determination arsenic she continued: 'I’ve been weighing this determination for rather a portion – Am I genuinely ready? But, my sixtieth day solemnisation connected the Plaza felt similar a shift.

'Like a massive, joyful YES, you are! I saw it each truthful clearly: my broadcast vocation has been beyond meaningful, a caller decennary of my beingness lies ahead, and present my daughters and my ma request and merit a bigger portion of my clip pie. I volition miss you each desperately, but I’m acceptable and excited.

'Because I’ll beryllium moving done the opening of 2025, there’s plentifulness of clip to speech astir what's up for each of us. But 1 happening I cognize for definite close present is this: everything’s going to beryllium conscionable fine. The Peacock’s feathers are ne'er ruffled… nary substance who comes oregon goes. TODAY and its astonishing radical — each of you — ne'er waver. You ever upwind alteration with grace and guts.'

She concluded: 'Happily and gratefully, I program to stay a portion of the NBC family, the longest enactment narration I’ve been fortunate capable to clasp adjacent to my heart. I’ll beryllium around. How could I not? Family is household and you each volition ever beryllium a portion of mine.'

During her affectional announcement, the prima sat holding hands with her co-anchors arsenic she explained however a cardinal portion of her determination was down to her young daughters, seven-year-old Haley and five-year-old Hope.

She stated: 'I had my kiddos precocious successful beingness and I deliberation that they merit a bigger portion of my clip pie, we lone person an infinite magnitude of time.'