Hoda Kotb Is Staying On Fourth Hour Of ‘Today’ Despite Kathie Lee Gifford’s Exit

We could only handle one Today departure, so we were glad to learn that despite Kathie Lee Gifford announcing she’ll be leaving the fourth hour of the NBC talk show in April, Hoda Kotb isn’t going anywhere.

In addition to Kathie Lee’s announcement during the Tuesday, Dec. 11 episode of the morning talk show, NBC News chief Noah Oppenheim shared a statement assuring fans that Hoda will be staying on the show after Kathie Lee leaves. Phew!

“Kathie Lee is generously staying with us through the show’s next anniversary, April 7, 2019. We will have much more to share before then about our plans for that hour, which will, of course, continue to include Hoda. Please join me in congratulating Kathie Lee on a dazzling run at Today. We look forward to celebrating her in the months to come,” he wrote. At this time, it can also be assumed that Hoda will her continue her role of Savannah Guthrie‘s co-anchor during the show’s first hour.

Perhaps it’s the perfect time for a new co-host for Hoda as a source exclusively told Closer that she and Kathie Lee haven’t been getting along off the air. “At one point they were so close they lived in the same building. Now everything has changed. Kathie lost [her husband], Frank [Gifford], and needs a best friend more than ever. But Hoda got the baby, boyfriend, and top job and doesn’t have time for her anymore,” the insider shared. “They stopped hanging out before and after the show. They stopped lunches and dinners and going to the theatre.”

It all started when Hoda moved offices. “Now she [Kathie Lee] finds herself sitting alone in the basement with everyone else having fun hanging out in the dressing room on the first floor. Hoda has literally moved out on her. And moved upstairs.” The insider added, “There was a time when Kathie would play Hoda her new music and Hoda would cry. She used to tell Hoda that she ‘understood her soul.’ Everyone knew she was being played — except Kathie.”

According to Page Six, Jenna Bush Hager could be the one to take over Kathie Lee’s role. “I know somebody wonderful will be sitting in this seat afterward and I have my idea who might be absolutely wonderful. But there’s a great pool of talent and beauty and heart right around here. And if they come from outside the family, they will soon become family because we treat everyone that way,” Kathie Lee shared this morning. Well, hopefully Hoda and Jenna get along better than Kathie Lee and Hoda have been!

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