Skip to main contentSkip to footer
TODAY -- Pictured: Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker on Thursday, May 30, 2024© NBC

Today Show hosts like you've never seen them before: Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and more's childhood photos

Others making up the NBC team include Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and more

Ahad Sanwari
Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
October 13, 2024
Share this:

The anchors of NBC's Today Show have become recognizable staples of morning news TV for years, although you'd be hard pressed to recognize many of them based on what they looked like when they were younger!

Hosts like Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and more have been mainstays of the news world for decades now, but their vibrant early years are certainly worth looking back on as well.

Take a look at some of the most popular anchors from the NBC News morning show compared to their younger selves, from Savannah and Hoda, to Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones

1/7

Savannah Guthrie© Getty Images

Savannah Guthrie

This photo of Savannah's from her college days definitely has the same wide, bright smile we've grown accustomed to, albeit with a much darker mane behind it. When Savannah first started at NBC as well, she sported chocolate brown locks.

MORE: Savannah reveals who will be by her side when co-host Hoda Kotb leaves Today

Savannah was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1971 but moved to Tucson, Arizona when she was just two. She was raised in Arizona and graduated from the University of Arizona, later obtaining a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

2/7

Hoda Kotb© Getty Images

Hoda Kotb

Hoda's former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford originally shared this adorable snapshot of Hoda on their show Fourth Hour with Kathie Lee and Hoda.

MORE: Surprising salaries of female TV anchors revealed after Hoda Kotb's Today show departure

Hoda was born to Egyptian Muslim parents in Norman, Oklahoma in 1964 and also grew up in several parts of Virginia, going to school in Fairfax. She also spent several years in her 20s and 30s in New Orleans. She graduated from Virginia Tech.

3/7

Al Roker© Getty Images

Al Roker

Al certainly has the same inquisitive look during his younger days, saying on the air when this picture was shown that he was likely 20 years old at the time and still a college student.

MORE: Al Roker's harsh comments about his past appearance leave fans saying the same thing

Al was born in 1954 in Queens, NYC and has spent most of his life in New York, going to school in Manhattan as well. He graduated from the State University of New York in Oswego, and after years spent in Washington D.C. and Cleveland, finally moved back to NYC in 1983.

4/7

Craig Melvin© Getty Images

Craig Melvin

Craig Melvin's teenage photo has become a running joke of sorts on the show, with his cheeky grin and pose with the musical instrument often getting big laughs out of his co-hosts when brought up on the air.

MORE: Craig Melvin's Today co-host wishes him luck as star makes bold statement about topic close to his heart

Craig was born in 1979 in Columbia, South Carolina, actually kicking off his journalism career with a local TV station as a high school student. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in government from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

5/7

Dylan Dreyer© Getty Images

Dylan Dreyer

Dylan's glamor shot is a classic trademark of '80s style, boasting big hair, a glossy lip, a shiny gold jacket, and that undeniable softening filter.

MORE: Celebrities facing Hurricane Milton at work: Dylan Dreyer, David Muir, Ginger Zee and more

Dylan was born in 1981 in Manalapan Township, New Jersey and remained in the state until she graduated from Rutgers University. After stints in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, she finally joined Today in 2012 and moved to New York.

6/7

Sheinelle Jones© Getty Images

Sheinelle Jones

Sheinelle's childhood photo still encapsulates her warm and inviting presence, and as it turns out, still happens to be her Facebook profile picture!

MORE: Sheinelle Jones makes huge announcement live on show: 'My heart is pounding'

Sheinelle was born in 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved at an early age to Kansas, attending schools in Wichita. She eventually graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, one of the world's top journalism schools.

7/7

Jenna Bush Hager© Getty Images

Jenna Bush Hager

Unlike her co-hosts, though, Jenna Bush Hager has been in the spotlight since birth, the daughter of 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush, and the granddaughter of 41st President George H.W. Bush, a descendant of a long political lineage.

MORE: Jenna Bush Hager details 'heartbreaking' situation in personal life involving daughter's pet

Jenna was born in Dallas, Texas in 1981 and moved to Austin when she was 13 when her father was elected Governor of Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and moved to Washington D.C. in 2001 when her father was elected President.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best celebrity coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Celebrity News

See more