Hoda Kotb is departing from NBC's "Today" show.

 New York, CNN — Hoda Kotb, co-host of NBC's "Today" show, announced on Thursday that she will be leaving her position early next year.

Since 2017, Kotb has been a prominent face of NBC, co-hosting the program alongside Savannah Guthrie after taking over from Matt Lauer, who was dismissed following allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.

“It was time for me to turn the page at 60,” Kotb shared on "Today," fighting back tears. “I decided this is the right time for me to move on. I obviously had my kiddos late in life and I was thinking they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie.”

Within NBC, Kotb is regarded as a vital part of the "Today" show's fabric, hosting both the first two hours and the 10 a.m. "Hoda & Jenna" talk show. She described her decision as “the hardest of her life,” expressing her desire to spend more time with her two adopted daughters.

Kotb began her career at NBC in 1998 as a correspondent for "Dateline." She became co-host of the 10 a.m. "Today" hour in 2008 alongside Kathie Lee Gifford, a role she held until 2019 when Jenna Bush Hager took over.

Guthrie expressed the team’s reluctance to envision the show without Kotb, saying, “It’s complicated because we love you so much and we don’t ever want you to go away.” She also commended Kotb for having the courage to leave while at the top of her game.

Kotb's departure marks a significant shift in the morning television landscape, one of the most substantial changes in a decade. Shows like "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" remain highly profitable for their parent companies and are cultural staples, even as the broadcasting industry faces broader challenges.

In a letter to the "Today" staff, Kotb expressed her gratitude, stating, “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. I’ll be around. How could I not? Family is family, and you all will always be a part of mine.”

NBC has yet to announce Kotb's successor, and it may take months before a replacement is identified.