Kathie Lee Gifford leaving 'Today'

Kathie Lee Gifford announced Tuesday that she plans to leave “Today” next year after 11 years on the morning talk show.

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On Tuesday, Gifford called her upcoming departure "bittersweet."

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"It's an exciting time for me, and I'm thrilled about all the projects that are coming up, but it's also hard because ... I love everybody here so much," she said.

Gifford said she planned to stay for only a year after joining "Today" in 2008 as co-host of the show's final hour. She said it was because of her co-host, Hoda Kotb, that she stayed longer.

"I fell in love with a beautiful, talented, extraordinary Egyptian goddess named Hoda," Gifford said Tuesday.

In a memo to staff, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim said Gifford will be with the show until April 7, 2019, according to The New York Times and Deadline Hollywood.

Cox Media Group