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Donna Farizan has been part of The Today Show for 12 years.
Viewers grow close with the hosts and contributors. They follow along with real-life highs and lows, not just updates on news, trends, and more.
Now, Farizon is moving on.
NBC played a powerful tribute to her time on The Today Show, using Farizan’s own words and a dozen years of footage.
Farewell, Donna Farizan!
On Monday, September 8, Donna Farizan joined Jenna & Friends hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie on the couch.
Farizan has been a longtime contributor to and correspondent for the Today segment. This time, however, her message blended the professional and the personal.
“A year ago, I launched a series called Own Your Power, where I challenged myself to speak my truth,” Farizan began. “And now, after 12 years with Today, I’m challenging myself to spread my wings beyond the show.”
Farizan expressed her desire “to see what new and exciting opportunities await me professionally.”
She continued: “But before I do, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my time here and the lessons learned.”
Farizan then read a letter to herself. At the same time, retrospective footage of her 12 years on Today played.
‘The unknown can be scary’
“The time has come to start my next chapter. The unknown can be scary, but it’s also exhilarating, so let’s embrace it,” Donna Farizan counseled herself.
“Since I started college and had my heart set on television internships, I didn’t know where the road would lead,” she acknowledged. “But I knew to follow my curiosity and spark.”
Farizan affirmed: “I created a path that taught me lessons that expanded my growth as a human being.”
“Everywhere I turn surrounding the perimeter of 30 Rock, I’m reminded of ways in which I’ve pushed myself outside of my comfort zone,” Farizan remarked.
“Now it’s time to do that again,” she announced. “Because that’s how you grow — and I yearn to grow.”
“The world of TV and content can sometimes feel overwhelming because there is no roadmap,” Farizan acknowledged.
‘I am so grateful’
“But I am so grateful to have gone to the school of Kathie Lee Gifford, the school of Hoda Kotb, and the school of Jenna Bush Hager,” Donna Farizan expressed.
“Because now, it’s time for me, Donna Farizan, to create my own map,” she affirmed.
We of course wish Farizan the best on her next adventure. Many of Today‘s viewers parasocially bond with hosts and contributors to the program due in part to a sense of loneliness or isolation. These figures provide a sense of companionship. We’re sure that they will miss her.
Donna Farizan Announces Departure from ‘The Today Show’ After 12 Years was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.