Katie Couric expressed support for the former Today Colleague Hoda Kotb as she prepares to leave the talk show.

The journalist shared her hopes for Hoda’s next chapter in an interview with Hoda Entertainment tonight at the A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s 2024 Gala in New York City on Saturday, November 16th.

“I love Hoda, I think the world loves Hoda,” Katie, 67, told the outlet on the red carpet. “She’s been there a long time. Like everyone else, you want to take on new challenges. I did it for 15 years and loved every minute, but I was ready to try something different. So I think Hoda was too.”

This was announced Craig Melvin would slide into Hoda’s spot after she marks her final episode of the series on January 10. Katie believes Craig, 45, was an excellent choice for the role Savannah Guthrieis the new co-host.

“I think Craig is great,” she said. “The audience knows him and likes him, so I think it will really be a seamless transition. “Sometimes these transitions can be bumpy and tough, so I think he’ll just get in there and work on all four cylinders. And the show just keeps getting better, even though it’s already great.”

Hoda, 60, is the mother of two daughters, Haley and Hope, whom she shares with her ex-fiancée Joel Schiffman. She explained that this was her reason for leaving Today was to give her daughters the attention they deserve.

“I’ve decided this is the right time for me to move on,” the NBC veteran said during an episode of Today on September 26th. “And then I thought about it – obviously I had my kids late in life, and I thought they deserved a bigger piece of the time that I have. “I feel like we only have so much time.”

Katie is “really excited” to see Hoda blossom in other areas outside of it Today.

“She has these two little children. She’s been working these hours for a long time,” Katie said. “She wants to make her girls breakfast in the morning and take them to school. I know she does the co-parenting, but she’s a single parent most of the time.”

Hoda has previously revealed that she plans to get into the wellness field thanks to inspiring people in her life Mary Shriver. Katie has high hopes for the mother-of-two as she prepares to begin her new era.

“Media is changing… There are many different ways to reach an audience and build a relationship with viewers, so I’m excited to see her broadening her horizons and diversifying her portfolio,” Katie said.

And Katie certainly knows best, having been there Today She was active for 15 years before leaving the show in 2006. But her influence in the media industry didn’t end there. She is the founder of Katie Couric Media, has written several best-selling books, and has shown no signs of slowing down her career any time soon.