Hoda Kotb Surprises Savannah Guthrie with ‘Today’ Visit, But Gets Shock of Her Own

Hoda Kotb was trying to surprise Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show, but she was the one who got a surprise of her own. The former host didn’t tell anyone she was coming to visit, but maybe she should have.

While out on the plaza outside NBC studios in NYC, Kotb joined Guthrie, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly, Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones,  and Jenna Bush Hager on Tuesday, September 29. “We’ve got a family reunion,” Melvin told the anchors as he stepped out onto the plaza. “Hoda Kotb just popped in.” Melvin replaced Kotb last year when she decided to leave the morning show in January 2025. She wanted to spend more time with her daughters, Haley and Hope, and spend more time on her health app, Joy 101. Jones also replaced Kotb on Live with Hoda and Jenna, becoming the permanent fourth hour cohost.

When Kotb joined everyone, Bush Hager said that her appearance was a surprise since they talked on Monday and she didn’t mention stopping in. “I wanted to surprise you!” Kotb responded.

Guthrie then spoke up and shared that she was definitely surprised because the way she was greeted by Kotb was something she said “everyone wants out of their heads.”

“By the way, this morning I heard a knock on the door and then followed by a ‘Just come right in!’ and I was naked,” she said.

“And it was Hoda. I mean, I was in my underwear, but I was like, ‘Hi!’,” Guthrie went on.

“She was, and we got our hug!” Kotb confirmed.

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“Everyone’s trying to get that visual out of their head of me naked,” Guthrie joked.

Daly then chimed in and asked if Kotb was back for good. “Should Craig get his stuff out of…?”

“I’m ready. I’m ready!” Melvin joked.

“Craig’s going nowhere!” Kotb insisted. She told the crowd that she was back at the studio to report a story on the morning show. However, Kotb temporarily returned to Today earlier this year when Guthrie took an extended leave to Arizona due to her mother, Nancy Guthrie‘s abduction from her home. In March, Kotb sat down with Guthrie to talk about what she was going through.