Hoda Kotb Has Emotional Moment with Savannah Guthrie at Final Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Before Her ‘Today’ Exit

Emotions were high at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting this year.

As always, the Today show team was in attendance to host the annual event, with Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin all bundled up under 30 Rock to kick off the holiday season. There was singing and dancing and holiday cheer, but there was also a heaviness in the air that viewers couldn’t help but notice, as Kotb and her colleagues were soaking up what marked the final time she would host the special.

In a sweet video shared by the Today show on Instagram, Guthrie, 52, and Kotb, 60, stood arm in arm as they watched snowflakes fall, and the emotions of the night seemed to hit Kotb as she looked lovingly at her longtime co-host, who leaned her head against Kotb’s shoulder and they shared a moment.

Since Kotb announced her departure from Today in September, there have been lots of emotional moments on the show, and Wednesday’s tree lighting will now be added to the list.

On Thanksgiving, Cynthia Erivo helped her mark the final time she’d host the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as she gave Kotb a beautiful bouquet of white flowers to honor her years of work.

“Before you even begin, yes, these flowers are for you because I know that this is the last Thanksgiving parade you’re doing,” Erivo, 37, told her as Kotb got emotional. “I wanted to celebrate that and I wanted to say we love you. Thank you for all of the hard work you’ve done all of these years.”

There are several more lasts to come, too, as the Kotb’s last day hosting will be Friday, Jan. 10, and Melvin will step into her role as co-host alongside Guthrie starting on Monday, Jan. 13.

“You are made for this job,” she said of Melvin, 45, during the on-air announcement on Nov. 14. “You are literally made for this job. You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it.”

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He then returned the compliment, telling Kotb, “It means a lot to inherit this from you. You helped save the show and to be able to sit next to someone who I knew was smart for years and all of a sudden you start working with her and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, she’s funny too!'”