EXCLUSIVE: Savannah Guthrie Confesses She Was TERRIFIED And BROKEN Into TEARS When Offered The HIGH PRESSURE Job On Today Show Leaving Fans SURPRISED

The Today show co-anchor felt scared after landing her job as she believed that she wouldn’t last and would be “thrown by the wayside”

She admitted that her arrival at the Today show wasn’t a “happy occasion for anyone – including me”(Image: Getty Images)
Savannah Guthrie admitted that she was “terrified” when accepting the co-anchor position on the Today show.

The 53-year-old took over the role in 2012 after long-time anchor Ann Curry exited the show. Ann’s exit was rumored to be the result of poor chemistry with coanchor Matt Lauer, with reports claiming that he had been party to pushing Ann out.

The controversy around the show didn’t create an easy transition into the role for Savannah. The mom-of-two shared in an interview with Parade: “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.”

She continued: “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.” The Aussie star further told Parade that she was “in tears” when she was offered the job.

Savannah has now been a key figure on the show since 2012(Image: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
“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.”

When Savannah was brought on in 2012, the ratings of the show were resting on the hosting lineup change, which she felt the immense pressure of. Hoda Kotb went on to replace Matt in 2018 after he was let go from the show following a sexual misconduct scandal.

Savannah has been a figure of fascination for many members of the public, who question her political beliefs. She makes an effort to keep her own political opinions from influencing the way she reports the news.

Last year, Savannah did attend the Republican National Convention, sparking rumors that she was supporting Donald Trump’s bid for office. She previously moderated a Trump town hall on NBC in 2020.

Savannah also recently opened up about fresh fears over how her new endeavor would be received. She recently spoke to People about her new children’s book, Mostly What God Does Is Love You, saying: “I was so afraid because I didn’t really know how it would be received.

“What I’ve learned is that there’s a real yearning for deep conversation about things that matter, and it doesn’t mean there’s all these people that agree with me. They may or they may not.

“It’s just that it opened a conversation and that’s a gateway to real connection with new people, but also people I’ve known for a long time.”