Savannah Guthrie struggled to hold back tears on Thursday, following a surprise reunion with a former co-star. During an interview with Tucson's KVOA-TV, the Today host was blown away after her old friend and first ever co-anchor, Russ Lewis, made a quick cameo. Click the video below to see what happened…
During the heartfelt interview, which celebrated the local news station's 70th anniversary, Savannah reflected on her days at KVOA in 1995. Explaining that Russ had been "so welcoming" during the early days of her journalism career, Savannah was suddenly taken aback as he appeared on screen.
"It's like old times," he said to Savannah, before adding, "It was so much fun hanging out with you." Visibly moved, Savannah took the opportunity to thank Russ for his support at that time in her life.
"You were so sweet to me, you were so smooth and talented," she began. "I knew you were headed off to the bigger markets and gonna do great things, which of course, we all know that you did. I remember you helping me find my first apartment. In fact, I think we lived in the same apartment complex over there on River Road so you helped with that! And, I just remember having a lot of laughs."
Following the heartwarming segment, both Savannah and Today's official Instagram account reshared the moment, and it sparked a major reaction from fans. "This is great! I always remember my dad teaching me how meaningful and important it is to reach out and thank the person who first opened a door for you in your career," wrote one.
"Savannah is a Tucson legend and a today show legend," added another. Meanwhile, a third penned: "Loved every moment of this surprise."
© Getty ImagesAmong the comments, Russ Lewis responded with a sweet message. "Soooo much fun to see Savannah again! It's been way too long," he said.
READ: Savannah Guthrie faces challenge at home following change in personal life
Savannah, 51, has had quite the journey to her co-anchor position on Today. She first started with KMIZ, an ABC affiliate station, in the early '90s, and after working in Missouri and of course, KVOA in Tucson, she moved to Washington D.C., where she joined WRC-TV.
© NBCHowever, Savannah temporarily stepped away from broadcast journalism and returned to school, obtaining a law degree and working with a legal firm. She made her comeback in 2004 with a correspondent job for CourtTV before joining NBC News as a correspondent in 2007.
She gradually moved up the ranks, and was later named co-anchor of Third Hour in 2011 and finally, in 2012, was made co-anchor of the main Today show alongside Matt Lauer. Savannah was eventually joined by Hoda Kotb in 2017 when Matt was fired, and they've led the show ever since, as the first ever female duo to do so.
