As Jennifer Coffey prepared to say goodbye to QVC after 13 years, she couldn’t help but resonate with Hoda Kotb’s decision to leave Today.

“I think of Hoda a lot and her departure and I’m thinking she’s probably going through a similar thing where she has her network of people and her family there that she had seen every single day, but for the most part, it was the camera,” Coffey exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, February 5. “Her connection to millions of people happened digitally and virtually. Now, I find myself engaging in more, like, ‘How’s your day’ conversations with people that I didn’t see on a regular basis outside of QVC.”

On December 31, 2024, Coffey hosted her final show on QVC after being part of the shopping network for 13 years. She chose to leave to pursue “new adventures” such as launching “The Phoenix” podcast and opening The Phoenix Yoga Studio in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Kotb, meanwhile, said goodbye to the Today show in January after nearly 30 years with NBC News to spend more quality time with her kids, Hayley, 7, and Hope, 5. She is also working on her own wellness company comprising an app, podcast and retreats.

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While Kotb said goodbye to early morning wakeups, Coffey said farewell to a job that included unusual work hours, such as launching a Today’s Special Value at midnight.

While Kotb said goodbye to early morning wakeups, Coffey said farewell to a job that included unusual work hours, such as launching a Today’s Special Value at midnight.

While there are countless elements of the QVC job Coffey misses, she thinks of herself and Kotb as “kindred spirits in the sense that our journey has been very similar.”

“I remember as an adolescent and teen watching Hoda as an anchor in New Orleans because I grew up in New Orleans and she was Hoda Kotb on the evening news,” Coffey explained. “Just to watch her rise has been amazing, but I imagine she’s probably doing the same thing I am [now], which is living her best life and embracing all these moments.”

Kotb previously shared on Today that she had a core group of girlfriends — including close friend Maria Shriver — she consulted with about her next move.

Coffey said she too had a “ride or die” crew made up of her husband, Davinder Athwal, daughter Gabby and some close friends at QVC including fellow hosts Mary DeAngelis, Julia Cearley, Mary Beth Roe, Rachel Boesing and Ali Carr.