Hoda Kotb Leaving Today Show

Hoda Kotb is opening up about her new chapter.

After nearly two decades with the Today show, the longtime host has tearfully shared she’s stepping away from the news desk.

“My time at NBC has been the longest professional love affair of my life,” she wrote in a letter published by Today Sept. 26. “But only because you’ve been beside me on this twenty-six-year adventure. Looking back, the math is nuts. 26 years at NBC News — Ten years at ‘Dateline,’ seven on the seven o’clock hour, sixteen on the ten o’clock hour.

“I’m picturing your faces and your families and all the ways you’ve lifted me up and inspired me,” she continued. “That’s my heart singing. So many of my professional relationships have become some of my most cherished friendships.”

She noted, “I’ve been weighing this decision for quite a while — Am I truly ready? But, my sixtieth birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift. Like a massive, joyful YES, you are! I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.”

This is a developing story, check back for more updates.