Savannah Guthrie revealed the touching change she noticed in the plaza outside Studio 1A in the lead-up to Hoda Kotb's departure from Today in January.
During Tuesday's show, Craig Melvin couldn't help but notice the abundance of 'We'll miss you' signs dedicated to Hoda in the plaza, prompting Savannah to reveal that the number has only increased as her co-host's final day approaches.
© Getty ImagesCommenting on the huge crowds outside the studio, Hoda said: "You guys, these crowds have been crazy this Christmas season, we have lots of people outside to say hi to."
Craig pointed out: "I counted at least 42, 'We'll miss you Hoda signs'. [It's] every day," to which Savannah said: "They're growing and growing. We will too! We're right there with you, plaza."
© NBCHoda announced her departure from Today back in September. "I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new," the host explained.
"I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, 'This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.' And I thought it can't get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on," she tearfully shared.
The journalist revealed that her two daughters, Haley, seven, and Hope, five, were a big factor in her decision. "Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have," she said. "I feel like we only have a finite amount of time.
"And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world," added the broadcaster, who will host her final episode on January 10.
© NBCHoda first joined NBC back in 1998 as a correspondent on its nighttime show, Dateline. In 2008, she began co-hosting the fourth hour of Today with Kathie Lee Gifford and then Jenna Bush Hager in 2019.
In 2018, Hoda was announced as the new co-anchor of Today, having stepped in alongside Savannah after NBC fired Matt Lauer due to allegations of sexual misconduct.
Since then, Hoda and Savannah have become firm friends both on and off-screen.
Speaking to US Weekly about Hoda's decision to leave the show, Savannah revealed her mixed emotions. "I was so sad for myself and for the show because — to me — she’s irreplaceable. I was happy for her as her friend," she said.
