Savannah Guthrie Was ‘Terrified’ to Replace Ann Curry on Today

Being promoted to coanchor of Today was a bittersweet achievement for Savannah Guthrie, who took over the role after Ann Curry exited the show.

“I came at a time of a lot of controversy for the show, and it wasn’t, I don’t think, a happy occasion, really — for anyone, including me,” Guthrie, 53, shared in an interview with Parade published on Friday, January 17. “I was as terrified as I could possibly be because the bosses at the time had made a decision, and I quite literally was the last to know, and I was so afraid, and I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t last.”

Guthrie first joined Today in 2011 as a chief legal correspondent and served as the anchor of the show’s 9 a.m. hour. That same year, Curry took over from Meredith Vieira as Matt Lauer’s Today coanchor. She departed the show just one year later amid rumors that NBC believed her and Lauer’s alleged lack of chemistry led to low ratings. (A source claimed to Us Weekly in July 2012 that Lauer, 67, also played a part in Curry’s exit.)

Guthrie was announced as Curry’s replacement in June 2012. At the time, Today.com reported that ratings were the main reason behind the hosting lineup change.

While Guthrie was happy to take on the coveted gig, she told Parade that she was “in tears” when she was offered the job. “And it wasn’t because I didn’t dream of this job like everyone else does. It was because I was sure that it wouldn’t last and that I’d be thrown by the wayside within a few weeks or months.”

Now, Guthrie told the outlet she’s “so happy that survived and I’m still here.” Her current cohost, Craig Melvin, chimed in by stating she “thrived, not survived.”

At the time of her Today exit, Curry told viewers on air, “This is not as I expected to ever leave this couch after 15 years, but I am so grateful.” She tearfully added, “And for all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I’m sorry I couldn’t carry the ball over the finish line. But man, I did try.”

Curry later announced she was parting ways with NBC News in January 2015. “This is about reaching for the edge of the future in journalism, which we know is undergoing an irrevocable transition,” she said in a press release. “I am excited about working to become a valuable link between traditional media and what is to come.”

Related: Savannah Guthrie’s Ups and Downs Over the Years

As upbeat as she may seem on TV, Savannah Guthrie knows what it’s like to deal with loss. Alongside her incredible success as the cohost of Today, the television journalist has also had her fair share of hardships throughout the years. Guthrie — who shares daughter Vale and son Charley, named after her father, with […]

Hoda Kotb went on to replace Lauer in 2018 after he was let go from the show following a sexual misconduct scandal. She bid farewell to Today after nearly 30 years working for NBC on January 10. Melvin assumed his role as Guthrie’s coanchor on Monday, January 13.

Curry opened up about her Today exit in a September 2020 interview with Elle, admitting she still didn’t “really understand” why she was let go. “I know I did nothing wrong. I know I was good at my job,” she stated. “They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire. You can read the tea leaves. But you know, I’m a fact-based reporter, so it’s hard for me to go out there, with something so close to the vest. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Noting that the exit “still hurts,” she continued: “It honestly hurts really deeply, because I really think I did nothing wrong. But in spite of the pain of it, which still lingers, I know that I contributed to some people suffering less.”