Hoda Kotb’s Tearful Farewell to ‘Today’ and Her Daughter's Emotional Reaction

Hoda Kotb bid an emotional farewell to the “Today” show on Friday.

She signed off for the final time, telling the audience, “Can I just say thank you to every person who came out here? I read your cards, I got your bracelets, I got the scarves you crocheted, I read the texts — I got everything. So, I just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming out, for being here, and for everything you did.”

Her “Today” co-anchors — Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager, Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones, Carson Daly and Dylan Dreyer — were on hand to say goodbye to Hoda, who has been on the show for 17 years.

Craig Melvin, who will be replacing Hoda as co-anchor alongside Savannah Guthrie for the 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. hour., was also present.

During the episode, a video tribute of Hoda’s career was shown. With tears in her eyes, Hoda said, “I'm not even able to articulate it because I'm a mess most of the times, but I just want to say thanks.”

Hoda thanked fans and looked back at her NBC News career in pre-recorded video she called her "thank you note."

"This is not a goodbye letter. This is a love letter, a love letter to you," she said. "It’s actually kind of a thank you note as well. So how do I say it? How do I say thank you for more hugs and more love than one person deserves?"

Hoda also shared, "I have become who I am on this hour of this show, and you are there with me every step of the way. So as I sit here today in my final moments, on this final day in this chapter of my career, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my very full heart for the ride of a lifetime. I love you."

Kotb took time to show love for many of her colleagues, saying, “Carson, you're like the secret sauce on this show, man. Without you, the show doesn’t hum. Like, you have the thing, and you brought it. You bring it every day."

“Al, you’re my first friend here, the first person I met. When I got sick, you were the first person that walked into the room and said I was going to be okay,” she went on.

Hoda called Savannah “my person,” adding, “Who shows up for everybody? This girl. When your brother died, it was this girl. When I was going through stuff with Hope, it was this girl. She's in the room. She's always in the room and I love you."

Kotb also offered some complimentary words to Melvin, saying, “Craig, I mean, I'm so happy for you. You earned this. You own this. And come Monday at 7:00 a.m., I'm going to be dead asleep. But you're gonna be fantastic. You're going to bring it home! Craig, you're gonna be so good. You and Savannah are going to be magic."

Hoda also got a major surprise from her former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford.

After a video message was shown of Kathie offering words of support, she then appeared in studio to give Hoda a hug!

Hoda commented, “I wondered, because I love you so much, I was thinking to myself, ‘I sure hope that Kath comes.’ I’m so glad that you’re here.”

Kathie Lee went on to sing “The Best Is Yet to Come.”

Hoda and Kathie were co-anchors together from 2008-2019.

While Kathie Lee initially only signed on to do “Today” for a year, Hoda changed all that!

Kathie Lee explained, “My problem is I fall in love, and I fell in love with Hoda. And I said, 'I don't want to leave her.' Every time I was with Hoda, the one thing I had in common with you and with Regis (Philbin) — two very, very different people — I look forward every single day to being with you both."

Gifford noted, “I've always said she's sunshine in a bottle, isn't she, everybody?”

Kathie Lee gave a toast, saying, “I think I want to send her off with what she knows from my heart means most to me is that I'm sending you off with a prayer… May you walk into the most joyful, prosperous, purposeful time in your life.”

“Today” family aside, Simone Biles and Maria Shriver also appeared on the show for Hoda’s send-off. 

Simone told Hoda, “Hopefully we're in L.A. together, whatever that means. Whatever that means for the both of us."

Kotb responded, “Simone, however you end up in L.A. and whatever you do, I'm going to be there, too, with you. I love you."

After the show, "Extra" spoke with Hoda, who was accompanied by her daughters Haley and Hope.

Recalling Haley's emotional reaction to the goodbye, Kotb said, "She was actually crying, hugging Jenna because Jenna was sad and then she said, 'Mom, it's alot.' I said, 'Yeah, it's a lot, but sometimes this is what love feels like. Love can feel like this, too. That is a part of life.' I'm trying to remind her that sometimes these tears mean a lot."

As for seeing everyone come for her farewell, Hoda said, "I saw old sorority sisters and old friends and people I did stories on and new friends. One by one, they came... It's so astonishing to me and it's amazing."

Kotb was definitely "feeling all the love," saying, "No one says 'I love you' like the 'Today' show."

Weeks ago, “Extra’s” Carlos Greer spoke with Hoda about life after “Today” with daughters Haley and Hope. She said, “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.’”

Haley and Hope are Hoda’s top priorities now! 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 announced her decision to leave “Today” in September.

At the time, she shared, "I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new. I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, 'This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.' And I thought it can't get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on."