Savannah & Hoda Have Reportedly ‘Never Gotten Along’ Behind the Scenes of ‘Nasty’ & ‘Vicious’ Today Show
There’s a lot of competition in television, and that extends to morning shows. That’s perhaps one of the reasons why people have been pitting Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb against each other for years. But do the two former co-hosts get along? Kotb was, after all, the one chosen by the Today show for Guthrie’s first interview about her mother’s disappearance.
However, insiders are now saying that there’s always been an undercurrent of competition between the two. RadarOnline is now reporting that the two never really connected off-screen, just maintained a professional partnership in front of the cameras, with one source even saying that the two “have never [gotten] along.”
Part of it is reportedly the environment, which has been described as “nasty.” And that’s something everyone knows. “It’s vicious,” a source said. “It is so cutthroat.”
Kotb returned to the Today show earlier this year when Guthrie was absent during the first days after the disappearance of her mother Nancy. Savannah returned to the show a month ago, and there has still been no news about her mother.
Even after Guthrie’s return, the two had to share the Today show desk for a week when Craig Melvin was out on vacation. At the time, the pair joked that it was “just like old times.” But Rob Shuter reported that behind the scenes it wasn’t all smiles, as Savannah originally wanted Willie Geist to replace Matt Lauer, not Hoda Kotb.
“This was never a natural pairing,” one insider told Shuter. “They made it work — but it wasn’t Savannah’s choice.” But why was the decision made?
“Hoda got the job because audiences loved her,” the source also said. “Not because Savannah wanted her there.”
All of this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg of the reasons why the two reportedly never became close friends. The environment they’re in thrives on competition, sources say. And the two have just been caught in that from the beginning. “There’s always been competition,” the insider added. “This is morning TV — it’s a ratings war every single day.”
Ironically, while Craig Melvin was on vacation, there was even talk that he should look out for Hoda, who is very popular with viewers. Kotb stepped down from the Today show of her own volition, and has returned to help multiple times. According to Rob Shuter, “Craig is a genuinely nice guy — but he doesn’t really play the game. Hoda? She’s the opposite. All game… and not so nice.”
So, if at some point Hoda decides she wants back in, some believe the network will jump at the opportunity. Even if, perhaps, she wouldn’t be replacing Savannah but joining her. “If Hoda decides she wants her old job back, Craig won’t stand a chance,” the insider added. “He’ll be elbowed out.”
The Today show had a rotating group of hosts in Guthrie’s absence. Hoda Kotb, Sheinelle Jones, and Laura Jarrett all filled in for Savannah while she was taking time to be with her family amid the investigation into her mother’s disappearance. Since her departure from the Today show, Kotb has focused on her family, launched a wellness brand called Joy 101, and worked on her memoir, Jump and Find Joy.
