Hoda Kotb was in her feelings during the “Today” Christmas episode.
The anchors of the NBC morning program exchanged their Secret Santa gifts on Wednesday’s broadcast, and Kotb — who is leaving the show in the new year — broke down in tears over Savannah Guthrie’s present.
Kotb, 60, opened the gift bag which had wishing candles and a small square with a framed quote.
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.Instagram / @todayshow
Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Carson Daly on “Today.”
“Ok, this phrase …” Kotb said, as she got choked up while trying to read the quote.
The quote is “May you find the light to guide you home.”
Savannah Guthrie’s gift for Hoda Kotb.Instagram / @todayshow
’It’s a beautiful song that Savannah gave to me every time I was going through something new,” Kotb explained. “And you got candles! Oh, my God. It’s too much.”
Hoda Kotb.Instagram / @todayshow
The quote is from the song “May You Find a Light” by Josh Garrels.
“I thought you could put it on your desk in the morning when you’re reading your stuff,” Guthrie, 52, told Kotb.
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.Instagram / @todayshow
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.Instagram / @todayshow
“You know what I love about this the most? That’s your handwriting,” said Kotb, who held up the framed lyric that Guthrie wrote.
The pair then said “I love you” to each other and exchanged hugs.
Savannah Guthrie hugs Hoda Kotb on “Today.”Instagram / @todayshow
Kotb announced her exit from “Today” after 26 years in September. Her final show is Friday, Jan. 10.
She shared the news in-person with her co-anchors, including Guthrie.
“I have spent 26 years at NBC,” she said. “I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me, because I started thinking about that decade. I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb at the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Peter Kramer/NBC via Getty Images
“I decided that this is the right time to move on,” Kotb shared, adding that she wants to spend more time with her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.
Last month, it was announced that Craig Melvin will replace Kotb and co-anchor the first two hours of “Today” alongside Guthrie.
Kotb is also the co-host of the 10 a.m. show “Today with Hoda and Jenna” alongside Jenna Bush Hager, who will be joined by rotating guest co-hosts following Kotb’s exit until her permanent co-host is announced.
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on “Today.”Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
In October, Kotb admitted on her show with Bush Hager, 43, that her decision to leave “Today” is “terrifying.”
“When those twinges come up, like, ‘Should you do it? Is it a mistake?’ … I remind myself that there’s still part of me that’s living right here,” she said.
Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in NYC on December 4, 2024.
