Hoda Kotb Replaces Matt Lauer as Co-Anchor of NBC’s Today

To celebrate her promotion, Hoda Kotb posed for the cover of People‘s Jan. 15 issue (on sale Friday). “When you click with someone, man, woman, it doesn’t matter. If it works, it works,” she said about her natural chemistry with Guthrie. “We’re sort of like sisters, and everybody wants a sister.” Guthrie added, “There’s so much of this that was unexpected. But what’s really cool about this is just getting to get up every day and do the things you love with your really good friend, who you trust, love, and enjoy.” She continued, “Our biggest problem is that we actually talk about other things throughout the show. Sometimes we’re like, ‘OK, pay attention. Do your jobs, ladies!'”

The duo also shared how difficult it was to break the news of Lauer’s firing—live and on-air. “That morning was so hard, but Hoda Kotb and I were in it together,” Guthrie said. “We are family, and families go through hard times. When that happens in strong families, you just get closer. It was such a shock to wake up one day and not have Matt, but it felt so natural and comforting to have Hoda right there. No one wanted that to stop.” Kotb had substituted as Guthrie’s co-anchor until before the holidays, when NBC execs offered her the job.

During the transitional month of December, Hoda Kotb maintained she never considered whether she would permanently take Lauer’s chair. “We were just trying to make it through those days together,” she said. “Sometimes, when you go through something with someone, you see something special. I think that’s what happened. I didn’t think about whether it would be me.”