We’ve had a pair days now to let the information sink in:
Hoda Kotb is leaving The Today Show.
After 17 years, the co-host shocked viewers on September 26 by stating the next:
“I noticed that it was time for me to show the web page at 60, and to attempt one thing new.”
Kotb additionally referenced her younger youngsters whereas making her announcement, making it clear she wanted to spend extra time along with her 5 and seven-year outdated.
Completely comprehensible, in fact.
The reported will stay behind the Immediately Present desk till January 1 and can then stay throughout the “NBC household” in some capability.
However now we’re compelled to ask an apparent query: Who will exchange Hota Kotb?
“The large contender who everybody on the community is speaking about is Laura Jarrett — she has a extremely robust probability,” an NBC insider has told Us Weekly.
“She’s the anchor of Weekend Immediately; she is a lawyer like [Kotb’s coanchor] Savannah [Guthrie]. She’s a darling on the Immediately present who has risen up in a short time.“
Laura is 40 years outdated and her mom, Valerie Jarrett, served as Barack Obama’s senior advisor throughout his administration.
She changed Kristen Welker as co-anchor of Immediately Present’s Saturday protection in September 2023.
Different choices additionally work for NBC today.
There’s Craig Melvin and there’s Carson Daly, based on this identical supply.
“The opposite possibility is they may transfer round anchors,” the insider explains. “They might put Craig with Savannah, or they may put [3rd Hour Today cohost] Sheneille [Jones] with Savannah.
We’ve additionally heard buzz round these elements about Political and Nationwide correspondent Jacob Soboroff, together with NBC Information Now anchor Tom Llamas.
Each of those personalities are thought of rising stars — and executives are conscious that Al Roker, Lester Holt and Dateline’s Keith Morrison all could retire within the close to future.
For her half, Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer spoke to E! Information and was requested to forecast who may fill Immediately’s soon-to-be empty anchor chair.
“I don’t assume in the event that they named anybody in our core group of individuals it could be shocking,” she instructed to Keltie Knight on the 2024 Individuals’s Selection Nation Awards, maintaining issues diplomatic and including:
“We’ve all crammed in alongside the best way when anyone’s out. I don’t know if anyone’s made any choices but, but when it’s one of many core group, I actually don’t assume it’s that shocking.”
Mentioned Kotb upon revealing her future plans:
“Clearly I had my kiddos late in life, and I used to be considering that they deserve a much bigger piece of my time pie that I’ve.
“I really feel like we solely have a finite period of time. And so, with all that being stated, that is the toughest factor on the earth.”
