After returning to the Today Show as Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin’s replacement, Hoda Kotb is reportedly questioning whether she left the desk too soon. When Kotb signed off from the Today Show on January 10 last year, she did so with gratitude and a clear sense of purpose, saying she wanted to focus on her daughters, Haley and Hope, and step into a new chapter as she turned 60. After 17 years at NBC’s morning show, viewers understood the decision — but Kotb is now allegedly having second thoughts.
Hoda Kotb rethinking her decision to quit Today Show, per source
Hoda Kotb stepped back to the Today Show this month to fill in for Craig Melvin during his spring break, also offering support to Savannah Guthrie. Radar Online exclusively reported that the reunion felt natural. Hoda fell into the rhythm beside Savannah as if no time had passed, with an insider claiming, “Being back on set hit her hard,” because “She realized how much she misses it. She’d absolutely go back if the door opened.”
Friends claimed that the energy of live television still suits her, with the insider explaining, “On TV, she knows exactly who she is. That’s her zone.”
Kotb never ruled out future appearances when she announced her departure. She is still a part of the NBC News family and has continued to work on special projects, along with building her wellness platform, “Joy 101.”
In December 2025, Sheinelle Jones officially took over as Jenna Bush Hager’s co-host for the fourth hour — but chemistry like Hoda’s does not disappear, and viewers flooded social media during her fill-in week, praising her warmth and ease.
But a full-time return to the show would require major decisions. The source acknowledged that the Today Show “has moved forward without her” as Hoda Kotb continues to balance motherhood and her latest project. Even so, those close to her claim that sitting back in that chair reminded her of how the show felt like home.
