Hoda Kotb, a The beloved anchor of NBC News’ “TODAY” for nearly two decades announced Thursday that she will step down from the network’s flagship morning show early next year.

She said she made the decision after she turned 60 in August. “I realized it was time to turn the page at 60 and try something new,” she said, holding back tears as she was surrounded by her co-hosts.

Kotb has co-hosted “TODAY” with Savannah Guthrie since early 2018, making them the show’s first all-female hosting team.

Guthrie, visibly emotional, said the “TODAY” team “can’t imagine this place without you.” Guthrie praised Kotb for her “guts” and said she is leaving at “the height of (her) powers.”

In a written message to her colleagues, Kotb said her daughters and her mother “need and deserve a greater share of my time.”

Kotb said she would remain at “TODAY” through early next year in an undisclosed role. (NBC News has not yet announced her successor.)

“Fortunately and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest working relationship I have been fortunate enough to hold dear to my heart. I will be there. How could I not?”

“Family is family and you will always be a part of mine,” she wrote.

Al Roker, the legendary weatherman and co-host of “TODAY,” paid tribute to Kotb after she made her announcement: “I’ve never known anyone like you… I’ve known you my whole life and I love you.”

“TODAY” has long been one of NBC’s biggest television franchises and drivers of advertising revenue. “TODAY” has outperformed ABC’s “Good Morning America” among adults 25 to 54 for 58 consecutive weeks — the show’s best streak in more than three years, according to Nielsen statistics cited by the network.

Kotb joined NBC News in 1998 as a correspondent for “Dateline.” She went on to cover a wide range of domestic and international news stories before joining the “TODAY” team in 2007 and becoming a co-host of the show lighthearted fourth hour with Kathie Lee Gifford.

Kotb and Gifford have attracted a loyal following with their easygoing banter and lively celebrity interviews. Kotb currently co-hosts the fourth hour of “TODAY” with Jenna Bush Hager.

Kotb temporarily took over as co-host of “TODAY” in November 2017 after NBC fired Matt Lauer following a lengthy complaint from a female colleague accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior.

In early 2018, she took on the co-host duties permanently. In a radio speech at the time, Guthrie said, “This is probably the most popular decision NBC News has ever made, and I’m so happy about it.”

Kotb and Guthrie co-hosted “TODAY” newscasts during some of the most important chapters in recent history, including the presidencies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, as well as the Covid pandemic and the war between Israel and Hamas.

Kotb also wrote about her own story, including her experiences with breast cancer and the adoptions of her two daughters, 7-year-old Haley and 5-year-old Hope.

In her written message, Kotb said, “There is plenty of time to talk about what lies ahead for all of us.”

“But one thing I know for sure now: Everything will be okay,” she wrote. “The peacock’s feathers never get ruffled…no matter who comes or goes. ‘TODAY’ and its wonderful people — all of you — never falter. You always face change with grace.”