Hoda Kotb talks ‘extinguishing the dark’ as she reflects on big move away from TODAY

Hoda Kotb rang in the New Year with a series of reflective quotes about hope and faith. The former TODAY Show host took to Instagram on January 2 to share a carousel of quotes by poet Donna Ashworth, which all included inspirational messages for the year ahead.

“The space where no answers exist but your spirit meets hope and magic is made,” read the first quote. She also included a passage that read: ‘The magic is the spark that lights the bones of surviving, it is the glimmer that whispers, we are alive-ing.’

Hoda then shared a message about “believing you are worthy,” as well as “being a seeker of light” and extinguishing “the dark within the might of that bright”. In the caption, she simply penned: “Happy New Year xo.”

The reflective post comes after a big year of change for Hoda, who stepped away from her long tenure as co-anchor of NBC’s TODAY in January 2025. Back in January, Hoda said she was ready for a new chapter after nearly 30 years with NBC and told her co-hosts: “I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What’s it gonna have for me?” she said on-air. 

“I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking they deserve a bigger piece of my time, the pie that I have,” she added. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”

Hoda’s Instagram post comes as it was announced that Sheinelle Jones would take on a permanent role as co-host on TODAY with Jenna and Sheinelle. For eleven months, Jenna Bush Hager has been hosting with rotating guest hosts. But now, she will be joined permanently by Sheinelle at the desk.

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Through tears, Jenna announced: “Over the last year, I have had the privilege of hosting this show with 60 incredible friends who all opened up to me, who inspired me. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve made some incredible friends, and I’ve learned so much about myself.”

She continued, revealing Sheinelle’s new role: “Today I am so thrilled to announce I have found my forever friend, and we are going to start a brand new journey in January. I couldn’t be more excited to share this person with you all.” 

Sheinelle has been part of the TODAY family since 2014, starting on the weekend editions and hosting the first hour. The announcement was no doubt strange for Hoda, seeing someone step into the role she left behind. Still, the former host congratulated Sheinelle. On Instagram, she wrote: “Ok. I am weeping — just watched @jennabhager and @sheinelle_o show us what a match made in heaven looks like. So proud of you both…”

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Last year marked a shift for Hoda, as she chose to prioritize time with her children over the demanding hours required of the show. It seems the busy schedule was something that Hoda was struggling with for a while. The NBC star spoke to us in an interview about a lifestyle change she made to help her with stress. “I’ve started meditating,” she said. “Never, in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would meditate. I can’t sit still. I thought, ‘this isn’t for me’.”

“If I want to get a little pick me up, I can meditate when my girls have ballet. It’s 45 minutes when I can’t watch them. So, they’re in a room and I’m sat outside. All of a sudden, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m doing this. I’m doing this right now. 

“I can hear parents talking, and at one point there was a kid next to me, who was asking for seven snacks. Each one was not good enough. I heard the first three, and then after that, I was like, ‘Goodbye’. I can now zen it out.”

The benefits of meditation have been bountiful for Hoda who added: “I didn’t realize that when your mind quiets you get this clarity and the energy. I didn’t know it worked that way. But it really does.”