Kathie Lee Gifford Ends Hosting Duties On ‘Today Show’ After 11 Years

After 11 years, Kathie Lee Gifford has ended her tenure on the Today Show‘s third hour, bidding farewell to her co-host Hoda Kotb and the rest of the Today crew.

Gifford, who announced her departure back in December, revealed the reason behind leaving the show, and how hard it was to make that decision.

“I thought I’d stay a year and here it is 11 years later,” Gifford said in a statement. “And in those 11 years, a lot of life has happened. The work that I want to do isn’t here anymore, I am an artist, I’m an actress, I’m a writer, I’m a songwriter, a director now. That’s the stuff that feeds my soul and I know that I’m running out of time to do those things.”

Gifford wanted to make a change in her life, and now she has the opportunity to pursue her other passions. She has recently taken to writing books and films, her movie, Love Me to Death, stars her along with Craig Ferguson, and it comes out this month.

Gifford during her final moments on Today gave a heartfelt goodbye sharing a passage from the Bible.

“Jeremiah 29 says, ‘I know the plans I have you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope,'” Gifford said.

“That’s not just true for me you guys. That’s true for everybody watching. Trust him. Let him love like he wants to love you, like I am loved by all of you. Thank you.”

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