The Special Reason Hoda Kotb Wore an "M" Necklace While Announcing Today Show Exit

Hoda Kotb is ready for the latest segment her life has to offer. 

While announcing her departure from the Today show Sept. 26 after nearly two decades, the longtime host was sporting a very sentimental piece of jewelry: an "M" charm necklace that she previously shared stands for "Mom."

And those aren't the only charms that have a special meaning. Hoda revealed that she also rocks pieces with special shout outs to her daughters Haley Joy, 7, and Hope Catherine, 5.

"I have 'Haley' and 'Hope' on (one of them)," she explained during an episode of Today in 2022. "Then I have an 'I love you Mama' on this one. All of them are my girls."

But the "M" necklace had a particularly special meaning for Hoda, as she told cohost Jenna Bush Hager at the time, "The 'M' is so me. That would be the initial I would want to wear if not my kids' initials. Because who knew that I was gonna get to wear that initial?"

And Hoda's life as a mother actually played a role in her decision to step away from Today.

"Obviously I had my kiddos late in life," the 60-year-old shared during her Sept. 26 announcement, "and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have."

She added, "I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world."

The anchor also explained that turning 60 felt like the right time to make a shift and "try something new," noting that it was something she realized after her birthday celebrations.

"I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs," Hoda recalled, "and I thought, 'This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.' And I thought it can't get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on."

And while the veteran journalist won't be saying goodbye officially until early next year, some folks, like Today meteorologist Dylan Dreyer, are already thinking ahead as to who could fill her shoes.

"I don't think if they named anyone in our core group of people it would be surprising," Dylan exclusively told E! News at the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards Sept. 26. "We've all filled in along the way when somebody's out. I don't know if anybody's made any decisions yet, but if it's one of the core group, I really don't think it's that surprising."

According to Dylan, that core group—which includes Jenna, Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and Carson Daly, as well as Weekend Today co-anchors Peter Alexander and Laura Jarrett—are "such a family," and any of them would be incredible alongside co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.

But for now, Hoda will continue as a fixture of weekday mornings.

To see more of the Today host and her family over the years, keep reading.

(E! and Today are part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Hoda got emotional as Haley and Hope surprised her with an early Mother's Day gift.

Joined by her siblings Hala and Adel, nieces Hannah and Ella, mom Sami, daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine and fiancé Joel Schiffman, Hoda Kotb described the celebration as "my kinda birthday."

Hoda enjoys a day with her daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine around New York City together.

Another Halloween in the books! Hoda and her first daughter spend their another Halloween together as their Sesame Street alter egos.

The Today show momma spends time with her own mom (and Haley's grandma!) in this cute group shot on Halloween 2019.

The host shared this pic of her and her little one at a Sesame Street party in Oct. 2019.

The daytime talk show host spends a day splashing around the beach in Aug. 2019.

Haley Joy looks cute as a button celebrating her mom's 55th birthday this past August.

"Look who is feeding Hope!" Kotb wrote on her Instagram in May 2019, showing off Haley feeding her newborn Hope.

Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda's close friend and long-time former co-host at Today, met Hope in early May and they were all smiles all day.

In April, the 55-year-old host shared a photo of her full family for the first time on Instagram writing, "This is us xo."

It's a girl! Hoda introduced Hope to the world after surprising her Today show family on-air revealing that she had secretly adopted her second child.

On Valentine's Day, the TV host celebrated Haley's second birthday and shared on Instagram how she felt saying, "So much love today."

The beaming TV personality spent Christmas with her mother, sister and daughter.

Haley celebrated her second Halloween by twinning with her mom in matching bee costumes.

In August of 2018, the mother-daughter duo spent an autumn day together picking apples.

"I can't believe I get to do this .. #grateful" she wrote on her 54th birthday.

On Mother's Day, Today co-anchor Hoda posed with her one-year-old cutie, Haley, as she sported a cute tee with the word "mama."

"Pre dawn photo shoots in bed are a blast," gushed the happy mom in a cute Insta selfie early on Mother's Day.

On March 2018, the Oklahoma-native celebrated partner Joel Schiffman's 60th birthday with their baby girl and a homemade cake.

"Home!!!!!" announced the TV host on Instagram after spending two weeks covering the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The day before arriving in Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Olympics, the TV personality had some fun with her little sweetheart and her USA beanie.

Gooo Saints! Hoda and her little sport's fan cheered on the New Orleans Saints in their game against the Minnesota Vikings on January 14.

"Santa we are ready!!!" the journalist wrote on this Christmas selfie with her mom, her partner and her little angel.

On November 23, Hoda posed with her partner and her baby girl for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

For her first Halloween, Haley wore an adorable bunny costume as she enjoyed trick-or-treating in a stroller driven by her mom and her mom's long-term boyfriend.

On October 26, Hoda dressed Haley in a jack-o-lantern costume writing on Instagram, "I couldn't wait !!"

During a Labor Day weekend beach trip, Hoda snapped a selfie with six-month-old Haley and the rest of the family, including her mom (left), sister (top right) and brother (right).

The Today co-anchor was overjoyed to spend Labor Day weekend with her bundle of joy.

The three-month-old surprised her mama on on the Today Show for Mother's Day weekend in 2017, marking her debut television appearance.

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