Hoda Kotb replaces Matt Lauer as co-anchor of ‘TODAY’
As we all return to regular routines this week, there’s a new smiling face to greet us in the mornings.
Hoda Kotb joins Savannah Guthrie as the permanent “TODAY” co-anchor. She shared a selfie on Twitter to commemorate the moment and announced the news on the show this morning.
Whaaaaaatttttttt! #SavannahHodaTODAY pic.twitter.com/qX53MUHxcj
— Hoda Kotb (@hodakotb) January 2, 2018
Together, Kotb and Guthrie will anchor the first two hours of “TODAY.” Additionally, Kotb will continue hosting the fourth hour of the program with Kathie Lee Gifford.
Filling Lauer’s Role
Kotb has been filling in as anchor since Matt Lauer was dismissed from NBC News in November following sexual misconduct allegations.
“Over the past several weeks, Hoda has seamlessly stepped into the co-anchor role alongside Savannah, and the two have quickly hit the ground running,” NBC News Chairman Andy Lack shared with staff in an email. “They have an undeniable connection with each other and most importantly, with viewers, a hallmark of TODAY.”
Fans were quick to congratulate her on Twitter.
You single-handedly brought me back to The Today Show!! It's so well-deserved, my friend in my head!! #hodasavannahtoday
— PJ Grant (@collegialprof) January 2, 2018
Congrats Hoda! I need your can do spirit at 7a.m. No reason the 10:00 hour should have all the fun!#SavannahHodaTODAY
— and Peggy (@SweetTeaAndMint) January 2, 2018
Happy New Year
It’s been quite the busy New Year for Kotb already. She and Al Roker hosted NBC’s coverage of the Rose Parade on Jan. 1.
— Hoda Kotb (@hodakotb) January 1, 2018
“It’s 2018 and we are kicking off the year right because Hoda is officially the co-anchor of “Today.” This has to be the most popular decision NBC News have ever made and I’m so thrilled,” Guthrie shared during Tuesday’s show.
Guthrie and Kotb are a natural fit for the morning news program.
“We have really similar backgrounds,” Guthrie told People. “We both came up in local news, we both have funny stories about trying to make it work and standing in front of the camera with our bad hair and wishing and dreaming that one day we’d be sitting right where we’re sitting.”
Kotb studied broadcast journalism at Virginia Tech and drove around the Southeast interviewing until she was finally offered a job. She got her start at WXVT, in Greenville, Mississippi. Her career took her to multiple news stations before she landed at NBC News as a correspondent for “Dateline” in 1998.
Then she began co-hosting the fourth hour of “Today” in 2007, and Kotb won a Daytime Emmy Award for her role in 2010.
Happy Tuesday, indeed!
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