Savannah Guthrie Shares Emotional Tribute to Hoda Kotb on Her Last Day at Today: 'I Will Always Be by Your Side'

Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Carson Daly say goodbye to Today the main star of the show Hoda Kotb after 17 years in the show.

On Friday, January 10, Guthrie and others Today family shared an emotional tribute to Kotb as she marked her last day at the NBC news program.

“When we thought about how best to celebrate you, Hod, and what you meant to all of us, it really came down to one word — love,” Guthrie told Kotb at the start of the tribute. “You are love. We love you too. You are everything. We are so inspired by you every day.”

And while she wanted to celebrate her friend, Guthrie joked, “If I don’t do this interview, does that mean she’s not going?”

10 most memorable moments of Hoda Kotba on Today

From left: Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie attend Savannah Guthrie in conversation with Hoda Kotb: Reflections on Faith at 92NY on February 22, 2024 in New York City.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Calling Kotb, 60, “like a sister to me,” Guthrie, 53, said, “She’s so special it’s almost impossible to describe.”

The Today the co-hosts value their pre-show time getting ready in the hair and make-up chair, and Guthrie said: “We value this pre-show time when we just talk and sometimes it would get very emotional and the poor make-up artist would have to start all over again.”

Calling Kotb “the ultimate people person,” Guthrie added, “Hoda, I love you. I love you deeply. And like I always tell you, whether you sit next to me or not. Whether we get up at 4 in the morning together or not, I will always be with you and you will always be with me.”

Melvin, who will take Kotb’s place as co-host, raves about her ability to connect with everyone she talks to.

“Hoda doesn’t do interviews, she leads conversations,” Melvin said. “She doesn’t look you in the eyes, she looks into your soul.”

Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb are hosting the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

ara Howe/NBC via Getty

Meteorologist Roker emotionally reflected on the time when Kotb helped him in his health battle in 2022.

“I was seriously ill. I never had any idea how sick I was,” Roker said. “I was in the hospital and I think Hoda was there if not every day, almost every day … it got to the point where people thought she was a doctor.”

He added of the mother-of-two: “I’m going to miss you coming out of that dressing room every morning, but you know what? You and Hope and Haley have to come out of your rooms and see each other every morning, so how could I be sad?”

Kotb broke down in tears at her co-workers’ tribute, jokingly declaring, “That wasn’t fair. Can I just say thank you? I couldn’t articulate it because I’m a mess most of the time. I just want to say thank you.”

Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager pose for a rare photo with their children at the Taylor Swift show in Miami

She jokingly told Melvin, “Craig, I’m so happy for you. You deserve this. You own this. And come Monday at seven o’clock, I’m going to sleep, but you’re going to be fantastic.”

But her most emotional response came for Guthrie, as she wiped away tears.

“You’re my person, my person,” Kotb told Guthrie. “You know who shows up to everyone? This girl. When your brother died, this girl. When I was going through the stuff with Hope, there was this girl. She’s in the room. She’s always in the room. And I love you.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The tribute comes after Guthrie and Kotb shared a sweet moment at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting in December, nearly three months after Kotb announced her decision to leave Today show after 17 years.

In a sweet video he shared Today show on Instagram, the pair stood hand-in-hand as they watched the snowflakes fall, and Kotb looked lovingly at her longtime co-host, who rested her head on Kotb’s shoulder and they shared a moment.

Hoda Kotb recalls the good times at work Today as he discovers the one thing he ‘won’t miss’

In October, Guthrie told PEOPLE about her reaction when she learned Kotb would be leaving the morning show.

“Well, I’d say I was shocked but not surprised because she and I had many, many conversations about life and what it means in our hopes and dreams, and I knew that 60 was a big moment and that she was thinking about a lot about how he wants to spend the rest of the day,” Guthrie said at the time. “So I wasn’t surprised.”

She continued: “But when it happened, of course I was happy for her because I think it’s so brave and daring and amazing and that way of trusting herself and her bright future that she’s writing, and she’s writing it.”

Guthrie added that she’s proud of her friend for taking a leap of faith, saying, “It’s not like she knows, ‘Oh, I’m going to this job. I’m going. She doesn’t know, but she knows what she can do and I love that and I’m inspired by that. .”

She concluded: “Of course I’m also sad because I love her very much and if it were my way, we would be together forever.”

Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb cry on air amid ‘depression phase’ in front of Kotb’s Today Show Exit

From left: Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

In September, Kotb revealed that she would be leaving Today show after almost two decades. Craig Melvin is set to step in as her replacement from Monday, January 13.

Kotb praised Melvin, 45, after the news broke, telling him on air, “You’re made for this job.”

“You’re literally made for this job. You’re so good,” she continued. “You have everything this job needs. You are the right person for it.”

The Today the show airs weekdays on NBC beginning at 7 a.m. ET.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education