Savannah Guthrie’s Shocking Reaction to Hoda Kotb’s ‘Today’ Departure Revealed: ‘Scary’

Hoda Kotb’s Today departure initially shocked some of her colleagues, including longtime pal Savannah Guthrie.

Hoda, 60, revealed Savannah’s three-word response to the news before she officially announced it during an episode of Today on September 26.

“I called Savannah, who was out of the country and I said, ‘I have to tell you something.’ She goes, ‘This sounds scary,’” Hoda recalled during an episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday, December 18.

“It’s not,” she replied. “I’m going to be, you know, saying goodbye in January. She [Savannah] said to me, ‘I’m going to tell you something right now.’ And I said, ‘OK.’ She said — these are her words. She goes, ‘You got balls.’”

While Savannah, 52, admitted that it was going to be sad to see Hoda go, she has ultimately been very supportive of her decision to leave.

“I’m going to be sad for me and for our show later, but not today,” Savannah said. “Today’s the day that I say, wow, you’re doing it.”

Savannah will be joined by Craig Melvin at the news desk in the show’s early morning hours starting on January 13.

Hoda said that Jenna Bush Hager, on the other hand, had a more emotional reaction to the news of her cohost’s exit. According to the Hope Is a Rainbow author, Jenna, 43, “did the exact opposite” of Savannah.

“She was like, ‘No, no, there is time. No, stop. Stop. Stop. Don’t say any more words,'” Hoda reflected on Jenna’s response.

The Today crew will celebrate Hoda’s career during her goodbye episode on January 10.

“You all know that Hoda’s last day is January 10, right? We’re celebrating you the whole week before. And today, we have a big announcement,” Jenna said during an episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna on Wednesday. “We are having a ‘Hoda-bration’ for Hoda’s final show.”

“There will be big surprises, lots of surprises that Hoda won’t even know about,” she added.

Hoda’s final episode will feature a live studio audience. The mom of two was surprised by the announcement about her farewell celebration. “You guys, that’s awesome,” she said.

“I was scared I told you,” Jenna admitted. “I can’t remember what I’ve told or who I’ve told.”

“We just really cannot wait to celebrate and send you [off],” the former first daughter continued. “I don’t know what’s gonna be happening with me because just talking about the ‘Hoda-bration’ brings tears to my eyes. So, we’re hoping we can do it and I can get out alive. But it’s gonna be a beautiful day. … We’re gonna start 2025 with an absolute bang.”

But before her farewell episode, Hoda and Jenna will host A Toast to 2024!, a two-hour NBC special on December 31. Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg and George Lopez are among some of the celebrities set to appear in the special, along with Kristin Chenoweth, Al Roker, Willie Geist, Joel McHale, Lester Holt and more.

According to a press release, the pair will “look back at the year’s buzziest and brightest moments.”