Kaylee Hartung isn’t fairly prepared to simply accept the truth that Hoda Kotb is definitely leaving the At present present.
In an unique interview with Us Weekly, Hartung — who joined the NBC morning present as a nationwide correspondent in January 2023 — mentioned she “can’t think about the At present present world with out her.”
“The very first day I walked on the At present present set, [Kotb] jumped out of her chair and gave me a hug,” Hartung, 39, recalled. “It simply made me really feel so at dwelling. The At present present was all the time the present I dreamed about being on. I watched it once I was a child rising up. It was the one which made me wish to do any of this.”
Hartung added, “To really really feel that heat from her on Day 1, I used to be like, ‘Ah, that is the whole lot I’ve ever needed it to be.’”
Nathan Congleton/NBC Hoda Kotb’s official alternative for At present With Hoda & Jenna has not formally been named. Along with helming the early information broadcast of At present, Kotb, 60, additionally leads the fourth-hour present with Jenna Bush Hager. Kotb, nevertheless, will depart the printed channel in early 2025 and the present will reconfigure the Hoda […]
Kotb, 60, made the emotional announcement that she is leaving the At present present in September –her final morning as co-anchor approaching January 10, 2025, after which she shall be changed by information anchor and third hour co-host Craig Melvin.
Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager and Kaylee Hartung Nathan Congleton/NBC
Regardless of Kotb’s full-time exit from At present, Hartung expressed optimism in regards to the beloved host’s long-term plans at NBC.
“She’ll nonetheless be round doing particular items and all of that,” Hartung mentioned. “I believe everybody shall be thrilled at any time when she’s in a position to be part of issues once more. Her power is so stunning.”
Co-host Savannah Guthrie introduced Melvin as Kotb’s alternative on Thursday, November 14. The previous MSNBC anchor’s official begin date is Monday, January 13, 2025.
“All people is so excited for Craig,” Hartung gushed. “I’ve recognized him for a very long time and I simply see how arduous he works. That’s gonna be a ton of enjoyable, too.”
Hartung, who can also be a sideline reporter for Prime Video’s Thursday Night time Soccer, shall be in Cleveland on Thursday, November 21 to cowl the sport between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, which kicks off at 8:15 pm ET.
In saying her At present present exit, Kotb expressed how turning 60 years outdated in August helped affect her determination.
“I spotted that it was time for me to show the web page at 60, and to attempt one thing new,” she mentioned dwell on-air. “I remembered standing exterior taking a look at these stunning bunch of individuals with these attractive indicators, and I believed, ‘That is what the highest of the wave appears like for me.’ And I believed it will possibly’t get higher, and I made a decision that that is the appropriate time for me to form of transfer on.”
Kotb is mom to daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, who additionally factored into issues.
“Clearly I had my kiddos late in life, and I used to be considering that they deserve an even bigger piece of my time pie that I’ve,” Kotb defined on the time. “I really feel like we solely have a finite period of time. And so, with all that being mentioned, that is the toughest factor on this planet.”