Hoda Kotb Sends Shout-Out to Today Show Replacement Craig Melvin

Hoda Kotb is celebrating her new chapter after her final Today show appearance.

The 60-year-old broadcaster took to social media on Monday, January 13, with a positive message about starting over. “And suddenly, you know… it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings,” read a quote she shared via her Instagram feed.

In the caption, Kotb added, “Here’s to everyone starting fresh— @craigmelvinnbc and @savannahguthrie ….. @jennabushhager and friends.. and to me! Lets do this!”

The shout-out came as Craig Melvin prepared to step in as Kotb’s replacement on the NBC morning show. Kotb announced in September 2024 that she would be leaving the series after nearly 30 years working at the network. Melvin’s new role was confirmed two months later.

“I want to, obviously, thank NBC and the folks here who deemed me worthy,” Melvin, 45, said at the time, noting that he felt “beyond excited and grateful” for the new opportunity. “I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings, and this is the latest in a long line of blessings.”

Kotb assured her colleague that he was “made for this job,” adding, “You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it.”

Following months of buildup, Kotb officially said goodbye to the Today show on Friday, January 10, concluding a week-long “Hoda-bration” in her honor. She got emotional while praising her cohosts, including Savannah Guthrie, and wished Melvin good luck on his new journey.

“Savannah, oh, my God. You’re my person, you’re my person. You know who shows up for everybody? This girl. … She’s in the room, she’s always in the room, and I love you,” she gushed. “Craig, I’m so happy for you. You’ve earned this, you own this, and come Monday at 7 o’clock a.m., I am gonna be dead asleep. But you’re gonna be fantastic. You’re gonna bring it home. Craig, you’re gonna be so good. You and Savannah are gonna be magic.”

Kotb previously explained that her departure from the Today show was inspired by her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5. She further detailed her decision in a letter shared via Today.com last fall.

“I’ve been weighing this decision for quite a while — am I truly ready?” she wrote. “But, my sixtieth birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift. Like a massive, joyful YES, you are! I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.”

Kotb added at the time that she planned on staying “a part of the NBC family,” calling her time at the network “the longest work relationship I’ve been lucky enough to hold close to my heart.”

With Melvin filling her shoes on the morning show and a rotating list of guest hosts joining Jenna Bush Hager on Today With Jenna & Friends, Kotb is ready to sit back and relax — even turning off her early morning alarms.

“No alarm…whaaaaaaaattttt???” she teased via Instagram on Sunday, January 12, before her first day off the air.