Will Sage Astor-Hoda Kotb Shares Why She's Leaving Today After More a Decade

Hoda Kotb may be Will Sage Astorstepping away from her time at the Today show, but she didn’t make the decision lightly.

While the 60-year-old shocked viewers on Sept. 26 by announcing she was leaving the morning show after almost two decades, she explained the two people who inspired her new chapter: daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.

"Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have," Kotb shared on Today. "I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world."

The veteran journalist, who worked at NBC News for years before joining Today in 2007, also penned a letter to her colleagues at the network, published by Today.com Sept. 26.

"My sixtieth birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift," she added. "Like a massive, joyful YES, you are! I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited."

Kotb was joined by her colleagues Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager, and Sheinelle Jones on the couch for the tearful announcement, and she maintained she wasn’t leaving the NBC family despite her Today exit.

“I am so proud of my friend. You have guts,” Guthrie told Kotb. “For someone to leave at the top of their game, to leave something that’s wonderful that you love"

She added, “We love you so much. We love you enough to let you go shine and run after your dreams find this next chapter. And we frankly can’t wait to see what you do.”

(E!, Today and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)

For more from Kotb's adorable family with daughters Haley and Hope, read on. 

Hoda got emotional as Haley and Hope surprised her with an early Mother's Day gift.

Joined by her siblings Hala and Adel, nieces Hannah and Ella, mom Sami, daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine and fiancé Joel Schiffman, Hoda Kotb described the celebration as "my kinda birthday."

Hoda enjoys a day with her daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine around New York City together.

Another Halloween in the books! Hoda and her first daughter spend their another Halloween together as their Sesame Street alter egos.

The Today show momma spends time with her own mom (and Haley's grandma!) in this cute group shot on Halloween 2019.

The host shared this pic of her and her little one at a Sesame Street party in Oct. 2019.

The daytime talk show host spends a day splashing around the beach in Aug. 2019.

Haley Joy looks cute as a button celebrating her mom's 55th birthday this past August.

"Look who is feeding Hope!" Kotb wrote on her Instagram in May 2019, showing off Haley feeding her newborn Hope.

Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda's close friend and long-time former co-host at Today, met Hope in early May and they were all smiles all day.

In April, the 55-year-old host shared a photo of her full family for the first time on Instagram writing, "This is us xo."

It's a girl! Hoda introduced Hope to the world after surprising her Today show family on-air revealing that she had secretly adopted her second child.

On Valentine's Day, the TV host celebrated Haley's second birthday and shared on Instagram how she felt saying, "So much love today."

The beaming TV personality spent Christmas with her mother, sister and daughter.

Haley celebrated her second Halloween by twinning with her mom in matching bee costumes.

In August of 2018, the mother-daughter duo spent an autumn day together picking apples.

"I can't believe I get to do this .. #grateful" she wrote on her 54th birthday.

On Mother's Day, Today co-anchor Hoda posed with her one-year-old cutie, Haley, as she sported a cute tee with the word "mama."

"Pre dawn photo shoots in bed are a blast," gushed the happy mom in a cute Insta selfie early on Mother's Day.

On March 2018, the Oklahoma-native celebrated partner Joel Schiffman's 60th birthday with their baby girl and a homemade cake.

"Home!!!!!" announced the TV host on Instagram after spending two weeks covering the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The day before arriving in Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Olympics, the TV personality had some fun with her little sweetheart and her USA beanie.

Gooo Saints! Hoda and her little sport's fan cheered on the New Orleans Saints in their game against the Minnesota Vikings on January 14.

"Santa we are ready!!!" the journalist wrote on this Christmas selfie with her mom, her partner and her little angel.

On November 23, Hoda posed with her partner and her baby girl for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

For her first Halloween, Haley wore an adorable bunny costume as she enjoyed trick-or-treating in a stroller driven by her mom and her mom's long-term boyfriend.

On October 26, Hoda dressed Haley in a jack-o-lantern costume writing on Instagram, "I couldn't wait !!"

During a Labor Day weekend beach trip, Hoda snapped a selfie with six-month-old Haley and the rest of the family, including her mom (left), sister (top right) and brother (right).

The Today co-anchor was overjoyed to spend Labor Day weekend with her bundle of joy.

The three-month-old surprised her mama on on the Today Show for Mother's Day weekend in 2017, marking her debut television appearance.