Dylan Dreyer’s forecast for Hoda Kotb is sunny and bright after her Today show exit announcement.
“I don’t think it’s bad news at all,” Dreyer, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly while attending the People’s Choice Country Awards on Thursday, September 26. “I’m not surprised that Hoda’s living her life and doing what she wants to do. We’re sad. I mean, I love working with her, but Hoda and I are also neighbors so I’m still going to see Hoda all the time.”
On Thursday morning, Kotb, 60, tearfully announced on Today that she would be leaving the morning show at the beginning of 2025. She hopes to spend more time with her family including daughters Hayley, 7, and Hope, 5.
“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” she shared. “This is the right time for me to move on.”
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Regardless of whether Kotb starts her day at Studio 1A in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza or not, Dreyer is confident their friendship will continue away from any cameras.
“Selfishly, I still get to keep that friend that we’ve all known and loved,” Dreyer told Us at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. “But it’s a family. Whenever anybody leaves, I think we feel it. But she’s still going to be part of our family and I applaud her for taking the chance and having the guts to do the next thing she wants to do, not on anyone else’s terms.”
In a statement to her colleagues, Kotb confirmed that she isn’t leaving NBC completely. Instead, she will likely make appearances for special assignments.
“Happily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I’ve been lucky enough to hold close to my heart,” she wrote in a letter. “I’ll be around. How could I not? Family is family and you all will always be a part of mine.”
Before serving as a presenter for the People’s Choice Country Awards, Dreyer paid tribute to Kotb online, praising her friend for being someone who comforts, loves and cares in all aspects of life.
“Way beyond her talent as an anchor, she’s the friend we all want and need,” she wrote via Instagram on Thursday. “I love you Hoda and I applaud you for trusting your gut and making this next step in your life. You do everything with enthusiasm and I can’t wait to watch you soar!
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After receiving thousands of positive messages from friends and viewers alike, Kotb reflected on the outpouring of love and support during the Today show’s “Morning Boost” segment.
“It was the most beautiful thing in the world,” Kotb shared on Friday, September 27. “It’s everything I’ve dreamt of. It was yesterday and last night were too perfect book ends.”
With reporting by Pam Windsor
