Tamron Hall expressed her pride in former NBC colleague Hoda Kotb. Speaking with PEOPLE at the inaugural Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, Hall reacted to the news of Kotb, 60, stepping down from her role on the long-running morning show Today, where they once co-hosted the third hour together.
“Oh, you know what? I understand it. I do. I understand it greatly. Being a mom — being a mom who is a bit older, you want to give your child, your family as much time and love as possible,” Hall, who is the mother to 5-year-old Moses told PEOPLE.
On September 26, Hoda Kotb announced that she would be leaving Today to dedicate more time to her family. She recently relocated to a home in the suburbs with her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 4. Kotb will remain in her current roles at NBC until early 2025.
“I think it’s a beautiful decision and one that was not easy to make, but I’m proud of her,” says Hall.
Tamron Hall, host of The Tamron Hall Show, left NBC in February 2017 after the network announced that she would lose her co-hosting role during Today’s 9 a.m. hour to make room for Megyn Kelly. (Hall’s own daily talk show premiered in 2019 and is now in its sixth season.) Despite the unexpected departure at the time, there has been no animosity between Hall and her former colleagues.Top of Form
“I respect that decision and wish her and her adorable daughters nothing but the best,” says Hall, whose cookbook, A Confident Cook, dropped earlier this month.
Before announcing her departure on air, Hoda Kotb penned a letter to the NBC staff on September 26, sharing the news of her decision to step down from Today to focus on her family.
“As I write this, my heart is all over the map,” she wrote. “I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one. And you all are the reason why. They say two things can be right at the same time, and I’m feeling that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.”
The 26-year NBC veteran will remain on the network in some capacity.
“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 her letter.
Hoda Kotb, alongside Savannah Guthrie, serves as the co-anchor of NBC News’ Today and co-hosts the show’s fourth hour with Jenna Bush Hager. Kotb and Guthrie, 52, made history as the first all-female co-anchor team on the popular morning show.
