'Today' Top Dog Savannah Guthrie 'Cracking Under the Pressure' of 'Having to Carry Show' After Arrival of Newbie Craig Melvin
Guthrie is left feeling 'stressed' from all the 'pressure.'
Feb. 4 2025, Published 6:39 p.m. ET
Today co-host Savannah Guthrie has been "cracking under the pressure" of "having to carry the show."
RadarOnline.com can report how the morning show icon is feeling the strain just weeks after Craig Melvin stepped up and replaced Hoda Kotb who retired from the gig in January after nearly two decades.
Guthrie and Kotb hosting the show together for years.
A network insider explained: "Craig is a real pro and has already been anchoring Today's third hour, but it's a whole new ballgame during the opening hours of the show.
"Everyone is now looking to Savannah to lead, including him. It's quite a load for her to carry!"
The source continued: "Craig's just starting this job, and it's going to be a while before he fully gets into the groove of things. Hoda was intrinsic to the show, something that people are realizing now more than ever."
Kotb and Guthrie were a force of nature together while they co-anchored Today together from 2018 to 2025.
Now that Kotb packed away her mic, she is no longer able to "help carry the load," and everything about the show has been "falling" on Guthrie.
Melvin joined as Guthrie's new co-host.
The source added: "While helping Craig get on his feet, she's also making the decisions about guests, holding people accountable on days when the numbers are bad, taking extra meetings with the bosses breathing down her neck, and so much more.
"She's been queen bee for a long time, but this is a whole new level of responsibility. She's already got good reason to feel daunted and frazzled. She's effectively carrying the whole show on her shoulders."
During Kotb's final weeks on the show, many viewers were tuning in to soak up the co-host's final moments on the air before stepping back.
The network filled the show with many special guests and activities to celebrate the hosting icon, which definitely helped boost ratings.
Now that the Kotb celebrations have come to an end, it's taking a toll in the numbers.
Guthrie, 53, made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with her new co-host, Craig Melvin.
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The insider said: "During the last few weeks of Hoda's run, the show was in top place, and executives are going to want to see that trend continue. If the numbers start to slip, Savannah's bosses are going to be pointing fingers at her. She's really stressed out over it all.
"She's feeling the heat big time, and it's taking a toll!"
Kotb made the heartbreaking announcement in September 2024 that she is stepping away from the show in the year 2025.
She said: "I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new. 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."
