Hoda Kotb was named co-anchor of "Today" on Tuesday morning and officially headlined the broadcast with Savannah Guthrie.
According to NBCNews, the 53-year-old Kotb joined Guthrie behind the anchor desk of NBC's morning news show after temporarily co-anchoring "Today" since Matt Lauer was fired in November. Lauer's dismissal came after a female colleague made a complaint accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior.
In announcing Kotb's appointment on the show, Guthrie, 46, told viewers: "This has to be the most popular decision that NBC News has ever made."
"I am pinching myself," Kotb said. "I think we should send some medics to Alexandria, Virginia, where my mom has likely fainted after hearing the open of that show."
NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said in an email that Kotb has "seamlessly stepped" into the position, and with Guthrie, "quickly hit the ground running."
"They have an undeniable connection with each other and most importantly, with viewers, a hallmark of Today," Lack added.
Kotb is a familiar face with "Today" viewers, co-hosting the fourth hour of the show with Kathie Lee Gifford since 2008. Lack said she would continue in that role.
Kotb was a news anchor in New Orleans before joining NBC News in 1998 as a correspondent for "Dateline." In 2010, she released the book, "Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee," and announced last year that she had adopted a baby girl. She also hosts "The Hoda Show on
Kotb's pairing with Guthrie is also a rarity for morning news, with two female co-anchors leading a national broadcast. The first time was when Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts co-anchored ABC's "Good Morning America" from 2006 to 2009.
In a joint interview with "People" published online Tuesday, Kotb and Guthrie said they were enthusiastic about their partnership.
"When you click with someone, man, woman, it doesn't matter. If it works, it works," Kotb told the magazine. "We're sort of like sisters, and everybody wants a sister."
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