Hoda Kotb named co-anchor of NBC’s ‘Today’ show

Hoda Kotb will join Savannah Guthrie as a co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show.

NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack announced that Kotb will co-anchor the first two hours of the show, according to the network. 

“It’s 2018 and we are kicking off the year right because Hoda is officially the co-anchor of Today,” Guthrie announced Tuesday after the program’s opening.

{mosads}”This has to be the most popular decision NBC News has ever made and I’m so thrilled.”

“I’m pinching myself,” Kotb said after the program’s opening.

“You are a partner and a friend and a sister and I am so happy to be doing this,” Guthrie added.

In a Tuesday email to staff, Lack said that Kotb over the last several weeks has “seamlessly stepped into the co-anchor role alongside Savannah, and the two have quickly hit the ground running.”

“They have an undeniable connection with each other and most importantly, with viewers, a hallmark of Today,” the email said, adding that Kotb was “remarkable.”

“She has the rare ability to share authentic and heartfelt moments in even the most difficult news circumstances. It’s a tribute to her wide range and her innate curiosity,” Lack said.

Guthrie has co-anchored the program since 2012.

The addition marks the first time a pair of women will be anchoring the program, according to NBC News.

Kotb will keep co-hosting the fourth hour of the show with Kathie Lee Gifford.

Long-time “Today” co-host Matt Lauer was fired last year by NBC News after allegations of sexual misconduct. Kotb said on NBC after the news that it had been a “tough morning,” adding that it’s “hard to reconcile what we are hearing with the man who we know who walks in this building every single day.”

Lauer apologized following the allegations, saying there are “no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions.”

–This report was updated at 7:41 a.m.