Savannah Guthrie knew just what to get Hoda Kotb for Christmas. As Kotb prepares to depart her co-anchor position on the Today show, Guthrie gifted her a meaningful Secret Santa present that made Kotb tear up live on the air.
During the Christmas Day broadcast, the Today cast opened their gifts. Guthrie, 52, revealed she had chosen Kotb, 60, for Secret Santa. Kotb opened her gift, which was a set of wishing candles, and immediately teared up when she saw the quote that Guthrie had written on a small framed square.
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“Oh, god,” she whispered to herself. “OK, this phrase, ‘May you find a light to guide you home,’” Kotb said through tears. “It’s a beautiful song that Savannah gave to me every time I was going through something new. Oh my God. It’s too much.”
“And you know what I love about this the most? It’s your handwriting,” she said to Guthrie. Guthrie confirmed that she did write the framed quote — which is a lyric from the song “May You Find a Light” by Josh Garrels — before sharing a hug with her co-host.
This year’s Christmas broadcast was Kotb’s final one as a co-host on Today. She announced in September that she will be departing the long-running morning show in January. Her final episode date will be January 10.
“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” Kotb said at the time. “This is the right time for me to move on.”
Kotb has been a staple of the Today show since 2007, when she started as the show’s fourth hour host. She became a co-anchor with Guthrie in 2018. Craig Melvin will take Kotb’s co-anchor seat, something he said he’s “beyond excited and grateful” for.
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