Hoda Kotb is sharing the truth about why she left her coveted spot as a co-host on the Today show. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Kotb reveals that her decision to leave the show was largely due to her daughter Hope's diagnosis with type 1 diabetes in 2023.

"I really wanted to and needed to be here to watch over her," Kotb says. "I got to see Haley sing 'What a Wonderful World' at 9:15 a.m. — I would have missed that. I used to think life was the big things, but it really is all the stuff that happens in between."

A New Chapter

Kotb's last day on the Today show was an emotional one, with many of her friends and colleagues coming to bid her farewell. Her co-host Jenna Bush Hager burst into tears, and Kotb's daughters Haley, 8, and Hope, 6, were also present on set.

Kotb has been settling into a new life, relishing the amount of time she has for her daughters and making plans for the future. She's been hard at work launching a wellness company, Joy 101, complete with an app, live events, and a subscription newsletter that will all center around themes of joy, mindfulness, meditation, and wellness.

A Family's Struggle

Kotb's family has been navigating Hope's medical condition over the last two years. In February 2023, a sudden onset of mysterious symptoms landed Hope in the hospital for two weeks and forced Kotb to take a leave of absence from the Today show.

Now that the family has established a care routine that's working, Kotb reveals that Hope is living with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that prevents the pancreas from making its own insulin, requiring vigilant blood sugar monitoring and frequent insulin injections.

"It's kind of constant care for Hope. We're monitoring her 24/7," says Kotb, who calls her daughter a "trooper" for having had to deal with the unpleasant realities of treatment.

A New Routine

Now that Kotb is working from home, she jokes there's a "split verdict" on having mom available all the time. "I think that on some days they love it and sometimes I think I might be cramping their style a little bit, because they were used to a morning routine minus me," she says.

But for Kotb, it's heaven. She wakes up at 4:30 a.m. — her version of "sleeping in" after years of an even worse schedule — meditates and writes in her journal before the girls get up. After walking her kids to school in a big neighborhood group, Kotb sometimes hits the gym or heads for a tennis lesson — a new hobby!

And nothing can replace the feeling of seeing her children totally relaxed, knowing Mom is not going anywhere. "Sometimes I'm right there working in my office, and they'll run up to the window and wave to me and throw up a heart [with their hands]. They're fine because they want me to be here, they're just happy to see me, and then they'll go off and play," she says.

Read more about Hoda Kotb's life after the Today show in the newest issue of PEOPLE on stands now. Also, check out these related stories:

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