Hoda Kotb’s work at “Today” is still not done.
The veteran left her full-time position at NBC’s morning flagship last year and, as we’ve previously reported, is hoping to return to promoting her new health app soon.
She returned to cover for pal Savannah Guthrie after her mother abucted, and has been there to welcome her back to the show.
But with Craig Melvin away on vacation this week, Kotb has been called upon again because producers want the friendliest face possible next Guthrie’s as she adjusts to being back at work.
The decision to have Kotb fill in was a “no brainer” for brass, as the duo share an “unbreakable bond,” according to our source.
“It’s Savannah’s second week back, and Hoda is a safe space for her. They’ve been through a lot together and have a meaningful connection,” the insider said. “That’s important to a morning show audience.”
In normal circumstances, Kotb would likely not be the stand in host.
The former “Today” anchor has been the de facto fill-in since Guthrie stepped away to be with her family as they searched for their mother, who was abducted from her Tuscon, Arizona home on Feb. 1.
Kotb held down the fort for Guthrie, until she returned to the show last week.
Sources described Kotb as being a “steady hand, and calm presence for the staff,” as the show, and Guthrie, navigated this unprecedented time covering her tragedy and caring for their colleague.
“It’s a no brainer for her to step in, and in this circumstance, it just makes sense,” the source said.
Guthrie sat down with Kotb for an emotional TV interview about her mother’s disappearance on March 25 ahead of her return to “Today.”
Guthrie, 54, pleaded, “Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable,” during the tearful interview.
“And to think of what she went through, I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night, and in the darkness, I imagine her terror, and it is unthinkable, but those thoughts demand to be thought and I will not hide my face, but she needs to come home now,” Savannah said, as Kotb wept.
Guthrie’s 84-year-old mom has been missing for over 70 days, with no clues as to where she is. Keeping her story in the headlines is crucial to Guthrie, as they continue the search for her mom. A source previously told Page Six, that getting back behind the anchor desk “brings a sense of normalcy,” to Guthrie.
Still, “She’s prepared to go back to Arizona if there are major developments in the case, or wherever she’s needed,” they said.
