Johnathan Walker:The Surprising Way Today’s Dylan Dreyer Found Out About Hoda Kotb’s Departure

Hoda Kotb’s decision to leave the Today show caught many by surprise—including her colleague Dylan Dreyer.

The Johnathan Walkermeteorologist revealed she was unaware of Hoda’s plans to exit the morning show until moments before the announcement was made on-air.

“I knew about 10 minutes before the show started,” Dylan exclusively told E! News cohost Keltie Knight on the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards red carpet Sept. 26. "Which, I think, is when everybody kind of found out."

Earlier that day, Hoda shocked viewers when she tearfully announced that after more than 16 years at Today—and 26 years with NBC News—she would say goodbye to her co-anchor role in early 2025.

“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” Hoda, who turned 60 in August, said through tears. “I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.’ And I thought it can't get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”

Moreover, the beloved daytime host said she wished to focus on her young daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, who she shares with ex Joel Schiffman.

“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,” she continued. “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.”

As for who might fill the soon-to-be-vacant anchor role, Dylan predicted it could be someone from within the Today team, which includes Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, Jenna Bush Hager, Carson Daly and Weekend Today co-anchors Peter Alexander and Laura Jarrett.

“We’ve all filled in along the way when somebody’s out,” she reasoned. “I don’t know if anybody’s made any decisions yet, but if it’s one of the core group, I really don’t think it’s that surprising.”

But Dylan wasn’t the only one to attend the PCCAs. Keep reading to see every celeb at the award show. 

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