Kotb shocked fans and the industry on Thursday after announcing her departure from NBC’s Today.

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Erin Andrews shared kind words for Hoda Kotb following her exit from TodayCredit: Getty

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Kotb announced her departure from Today on ThursdayCredit: AP
Kotb’s announcement sent a shockwave through the TV industry, and many sent out heartfelt messages for the beloved anchor.

Andrews was among those to share their love for Kotb in a post on her X account.

“Love you @hodakotb,” she wrote with two heart emojis.

Other TV personalities such as Al Roker also shared their love for Kotb after the announcement.

“Will I miss her day to day?” he said.

“Sure. But I’m just so thrilled for her that I can’t possibly feel any sadness.

“Here’s the thing. I would feel much worse if she was leaving, but she’s just doing something else within our NBC News family.”

Kotb announced that she is stepping down as a cohost of Today, but will remain with the program in a different, undisclosed role.

“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” Kotb said.

“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.’

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“And I thought it can’t get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”

Kotb also shared that she wanted to prioritize spending as much time as she could with her two daughters who are five and seven years old.

While Kotb stepped down on her own accord, reports have indicated that the move may have been related to her large income at NBC.

Kotb earned more than $20 million per year on Today, according to Puck.

“NBC executives loved Hoda and knew her value to the brand, but also made clear to her agents that such stratospheric contracts were no longer justifiable given the industry’s inexorable decline,” Puck reported.

London calling

The New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings will kick off the NFL’s annual run of London fixtures this weekend.

New York and Minnesota will clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday October 6 at 2.30pm local time – 9.30am ET for fans back home in America.

It will be the first of three straight NFL Sundays that begin with an early game live from London.

The following week, Tottenham also plays host to the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Chicago Bears.

And on October 20, the Jags will head across town to Wembley Stadium to take on the New England Patriots.

Today averaged 4.672 million viewers in September of 2014, but 10 years later the show averaged nearly half of that with 2.536 million.

“As I write this, my heart is all over the map,” Kotb continued in her statement.

“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.”

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