Hoda Kotb’s departure from the Today show after 17 years was marked with a week-long celebration and an outpouring of love from fans and colleagues. Among the many gifts she received, two pieces of jewelry from co-anchor Savannah Guthrie stood out for their sentimental value.
Kotb, 60, shared with PEOPLE magazine that Guthrie, 53, gifted her a ring inscribed with the word “love” and a bracelet that reads “with you.” These tokens of affection reflect the deep bond between the two anchors. Kotb described the overwhelming support she received during her final week, saying, “I love it — I’m taking it, I’m wearing it, I’m drinking it, I’m eating it, people are making cookies… I’m reading it. I mean, these cards, I can’t with the cards. The cards are my favorite part.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(499×0:501×2)/Hoda-Kotb-Savanah-Guthrie-Bracelets-011025-02-c09b26793a7545dcbad9b54618f0c5d6.jpg)
Hoda Kotb shows off the “with you” bracelet gifted by Savannah Guthrie. (todayshow/Instagram)
In an Instagram video shared by the Today show, Kotb expressed feeling “thankful, overflowing and protected” by Guthrie’s presence on her last day. Guthrie, in turn, described the day with a single word: “thanks.” The heartfelt exchange between the two highlighted their enduring friendship. Beyond the jewelry, Guthrie also presented Kotb with a set of pom-poms, symbolizing years of support, and a broken clock, signifying Kotb’s freedom from alarm clocks in her next chapter.
Kotb praised Guthrie’s unwavering support, telling PEOPLE, “Let me tell you something about her: she always shows up. She always shows up. That’s what she does the best. She shows up for people, for her friends. She shows up.” This sentiment was echoed in a Christmas Day clip where Kotb unwrapped a Secret Santa gift from Guthrie: wishing candles and an acrylic stand featuring Josh Garrel’s lyrics, “May you find a light to guide you home.”
Craig Melvin will be filling Kotb’s position on the Today show. Kotb plans to dedicate more time to her daughters, Haley Joy, 7, and Hope Catherine, 5. She is also embarking on a new venture with a wellness app and company, which will include retreats and a podcast launching this spring. Kotb shared her optimistic outlook on this transition: “Someone said to me, ‘When you jump… imagine yourself on the other side. Imagine what you feel like. Feel it’… ‘It’s like when you jump out of a relationship into a new one, imagine what his hand feels like. How do you feel, standing next to him? Do you feel seen, respected, loved? That’s the relationship you want to be in.'”
Kotb envisions her future focused on nurturing others through her wellness company and finding a greater sense of balance in her life. She added, “‘It’s like that with the job too. Imagine how you feel there. You’re nourishing people, you’re helping them with this wellness company. That’s good. And how else do you feel? You feel lighter, you feel inspired, you have more creativity, you slept better. And more importantly than all of it is, you became a better mother every day because you got to be there.'” This new chapter promises personal and professional fulfillment for Kotb as she embraces the opportunities ahead.
