Kathie Lee Gifford, who has co-hosted Today with Hoda Kotb since 2008, is leaving NBC’s morning show in April. “As we all know, Kathie Lee’s plate has been overflowing lately with film, music and book projects, and after giving us eleven extraordinary years, she’s decided to focus her attention full-time on those other creative endeavors,” said NBC News President Noah Oppenheim in an internal memo. Gifford announced the news on Tuesday’s show, saying she’d originally planned to work on Today for just one year, but stayed longer “because I love everybody here so much.” A source told People that Today’s Jenna Bush Hager is the frontrunner to replace Gifford, though Oppenheim said only that future plans for the Today hour “will, of course, continue to include Hoda.”
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