Let me tell you, folks, when Matt Lauer was fired from the "Today" show back in November 2017, it felt like the whole world of morning television got turned upside down. For those who didn’t know, Matt was let go after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. And honestly, it seemed like many people weren’t exactly surprised by the news. But if there’s one person who was caught completely off guard, it was his longtime co-anchor, Savannah Guthrie. On that fateful day, November 29, 2017, Savannah broke the news live on air. After reading a statement from NBC News chairman, Andy Lack, she said with a heavy heart, “This is a sad morning at NBC News… We just learned this moments ago. Just this morning. As I’m sure you can imagine, we are devastated and we are still processing all of this.”
Reeling from the Shock: Savannah and Hoda Reflect on the Fallout
Fast forward to a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and Savannah opens up even more about that challenging period. Alongside Matt’s replacement, Hoda Kotb, she recounts just how difficult it was for both of them. "We were literally both woken up out of our beds with this information. We had no idea," Savannah revealed. "We had to go on the air and say something with very little information. In fact, the information we said was [all] the information we knew, it wasn’t like we were holding back." It’s clear that they were thrown into the deep end, trying to navigate a situation that no one could have prepared them for.
A Moment of Prayer and Support
Hoda Kotb chimed in during the interview, sharing an intimate moment that took place before they went live. "Just minutes before we’re going on the air, we went to Savannah’s dressing room and had a moment of prayer. It was hard. It was heavy," she said. Both women leaned on each other for support, but even so, they couldn’t have anticipated the emotional weight that would come with the situation. "We had each other’s back, but we didn’t know how emotional it would feel. When you’re blindsided with information... you’re almost shocked, you don’t really feel the thing yet," Hoda added. They described the day as "crushing" and "debilitating," with plenty of tears shed behind the scenes.
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A Close Partnership Shaken
Savannah and Matt worked together for five years, and during that time, they formed a close bond. A source close to the situation told Entertainment Tonight that Savannah was "affected the most" by the news. In a previous interview with USA Today, Savannah opened up about the experience, saying, "We woke up to the news that was shocking, just like everyone who turned on the show every day. Man, it’s hard to get through something like that. We all try to keep our eye on the ball and try to manage this the best we can." Over the years, Savannah and Matt hosted numerous events together, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Of course, the aftermath of Matt’s firing saw Hoda Kotb step into the role as Savannah’s new co-host, making history as the first female duo to co-host the morning show. And while it was a challenging transition, Savannah expressed gratitude for the positive change. "Something really lovely and positive has happened," she said of her partnership with Hoda.
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