"In these challenging times, I want to get back to my roots," she said.Seasoned NBC journalist Andrea Mitchell has signed off her daytime MSNBC show, Andrea Mitchell Reports, for the final time.After announcing in October that she would be leaving and revealing her exact date of departure just this week,

Andrea Mitchell anchored her final edition of MSNBC ‘s long-running Andrea Mitchell Reports, with staffers and colleagues past and present entering the studio to give her an ovation as she wrapped up the show.

Andrea Mitchell has set Friday as her last day in the MSNBC anchor chair after 17 years as the host of “Andrea Mitchell Reports.” Mitchell, 78, revealed in October that she would transition to a broader role at NBC News after the presidential inauguration but had not announced a specific date for that change.