Gifford, 71, began sharing hosting duties of Today ’s fourth hour time slot with Kotb, 60, in 2008. She left Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda in 2019, though she has made reappearances on the show. In the wake of Kotb’s Thursday, Sept. 26, career change revelation, Gifford posted a sweet message about her friend on X, formerly Twitter.

Though no longer a permanent fixture on the show, Gifford still appears on the program from time to time. She and Kotb have continued to be good friends. Kotb’s decision to exit