Laura Jarrett Is a ‘Big Contender’ to Replace Hoda Kotb After Shocking ‘Today’ Departure

Fans were left shocked when Hoda Kotb announced that she would be leaving Today. But now, everyone is anxiously waiting to see who will replace her at the news desk in early 2025.

“The big contender who everyone at the network is talking about is Laura Jarrett — she has a really strong chance,” an NBC insider told Us Weekly on Thursday, September 26. “She’s the anchor of Weekend Today; she is a lawyer like [Hoda’s coanchor] Savannah [Guthrie]. She’s a darling at the Today show who has risen up very quickly.”

NBC has yet to announce an official replacement for Hoda, 60, but speculation continues to grow surrounding who it will be.

Weekend anchor Laura, 40, has filled in for Hoda and other weekday cohosts on multiple occasions since becoming an official part of the Today team in 2023. But of course, there are many who wonder if Hoda’s replacement will be someone who is already part of the weekday program.

“The other option is they could move around anchors,” the insider told the outlet. “They could put Craig [Melvin] with Savannah, or they could put [third hour Today cohost] Sheinelle [Jones] with Savannah.”

Whoever gets the spot will have some big shoes to fill, as Hoda has been a member of the Today team for 17 years. In addition to coanchoring the early morning hours of Today with Savannah, 52, Hoda has cohosted Today With Hoda & Jenna with Jenna Bush Hager since 2019.

“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” Hoda said of her departure during Thursday’s emotional Today episode. “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.”

Hoda said that she is looking forward to spending more time with her two daughters, Haley and Hope, whom she shares with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.

“Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have,” the mom of two explained with tears streaming down her face. “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.”

All of Hoda’s Today colleagues were visibly emotional by her announcement. Dylan Dreyer spoke out after the shocking decision was revealed, and hinted that Hoda’s replacement might be right under our noses.

“I don’t think if they named anyone in our core group of people it would be surprising,” Dylan, 43, told E! News while walking the red carpet at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards on Thursday. “We’ve all filled in along the way when somebody’s out. I don’t know if anybody’s made any decisions yet, but if it’s one of the core group, I really don’t think it’s that surprising.”

When asked if she was hoping to take over Hoda’s position on the program, she jokingly said, “Everybody knows I’m trying to get Al Roker to retire, let’s be honest.”