Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb's friendship: Source reveals new claims

Hoda Kotb recently rejoined Savannah Guthrie on Today as a co-host, almost a year after announcing her departure from the show.

“Hi, everybody, good morning, and welcome to Today,” Savannah remarked on Monday, April 13, while sitting next to Hoda. “Nice to have you with us on a Monday morning.”

Now, an insider told In Touch Weekly that the two TV personalities are not as friendly as they seem.

"There’s always been competition. This is morning TV — it’s a ratings war every single day,” a tipster told Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack.

The confidant further told the outlet that Savannah wanted Willie Geist to replace Matt Lauer after he was terminated in 2017. But Hoda got the NBC show's chair.

“Hoda got the job because audiences loved her,” explained the source. “Not because Savannah wanted her there. This was never a natural pairing. They made it work — but it wasn’t Savannah’s choice.”

Hoda replaced Craig Melvin as he’s on vacation. 

Another source told the outlet that if NBC sees ratings go up, Savannah “may have to get used to seeing a lot more of her.”

For those unversed, Hoda announced her departure from the Today show in January 2025, while Savannah was away due to her mother Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.