Hoda Kotb, former WWL-TV anchor, to leave "Today" show

The big picture: Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have co-anchored for five years. Kotb told viewers she turned 60 this year and it was a "monumental moment."

• She's spent 26 years at NBC and her two young daughters deserve more of her time, she said while holding back tears.
• "This is the right time for me to move on," she said, adding that she's at "the top of the wave" and "it can't get better."
• Watch the full announcement below or here.

What they're saying: "You've been the heart of this show for a long time and there's no replacing that," said "Today" anchor Craig Melvin.

• The segment ended with many of her colleagues crying. Watch Hager's emotional reaction.

The timing: She said she'll leave the show after January but "stay in the NBC family."

• She didn't give a specific date or say what her new role will be, but she said it is time to try something new.

Zoom in: Kotb and Hager have filmed in New Orleans multiple times over the past three years.

• In the spring, they did a burlesque class and ate at Dakar NOLA, Mister Mao and Sun Chong ahead of French Quarter Fest.
• Last year, they went to Jazz Fest and admired the food-themed signs people made for the "Today" show.

Life advice: Hager and Kotb often talk about the balance of working and parenting.

• Eliminating "mom guilt" is part of being a successful working parent, Hager told Axios in the spring. "I feel like women need to let that go and do the work the best they can and be a mother the best they can."
• "You have to be where your feet are planted," Kotb said. "When we're working with our kids, we are there. When we're at work, we're at work. It's a 'be here now' thing that I think helps."

Go deeper:

• Read Hoda Kotb's letter to staffers
• Photos from Hoda and Jenna's burlesque class
• Hoda's thoughts about Jazz Fest