Hoda Kotb on Starting Her ‘Suburban Mom’ Life After ‘Today’ Exit (Exclusive)

Hoda Kotb is preparing to say goodbye to “Today,” a set she’s called home since becoming co-anchor in 2018. 

“Extra’s” Carlos Greer spoke with Hoda, who admitted that bidding farewell to the show is not easy.

She said, “Every day it’s a little bit different. I’m a terrible goodbye person, it is not my thing. I leave every party early. And this process has been almost a daily goodbye, like, I’ve been hugged more in this last week than probably in almost the entirety of my life, and it’s been really pretty magical.”

Three months ago, Kotb shocked many when she made her exit announcement.

She noted, “I think anybody who’s done a job for a long, long time, you can love it and you can know that you’ve been to the mountaintop, and I stood on top of it and the view is amazing.”

Hoda won’t be anchoring “Today,” but we’ll still see the Emmy winner delivering prime-time specials, working in the wellness space, and co-hosting Olympics coverage.

She shared, “I’m going to link arms with Snoop [Dogg] and we’re going to be skipping off into the sunset and you pointed out, I’ll still be doing stuff here, of course, because when you’re family, you’re family, man.”

But it’s her family, daughters Haley and Hope, who will now get top priority! She explained, “It’s little things, it’s taking them to school, it’s being at the games, you know, it’s being present, and that’s all I want. Suburban mom life, let’s go!”

Kotb is “digging” that life, saying, “I got a minivan. We’re in it. I didn’t know I was going to be such a suburban mom, but I turned. Jenna [Bush Hager] keeps going, ‘Who are you? Like, I do not recognize you.’”