Entertainment
Today Hosts Return to NYC Before 2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony
There are still a few days left of the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the hosts of Today ended their international adventure early.
Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker were back in New York City for the Wednesday, August 7, episode of the NBC morning show. “We’re so happy to be home in Studio 1A,” Guthrie, 52, stated, adding that it was “hard to leave Paris.”
She went on to note that “Craig [Melvin] is still there, holding it down for us.” Melvin, 45, was shown sitting in Today’s Paris studio in front of the Eiffel Tower and proceeded to blow Guthrie and Kotb, 59, a kiss into the camera.
While chatting with fans at Rockefeller Plaza during the second hour of Today, Guthrie joked that NYC’s rainy weather reminded her of the downpour during the Olympics opening ceremony on July 26. “Hods, we need our ponchos!” she quipped, referring to how she and Kotb protected their matching white outfits from the rain.
Poking fun at his cohosts’ ponchos, Roker, 69, stated, “That’s gonna go in the Smithsonian.”
Guthrie and Kotb’s opening ceremony coverage marked the first of the Today hosts’ many memorable Paris Olympics moments. While Kotb rocked her poncho in a pic with Tom Cruise, one of many celeb attendees at the Games, Guthrie made headlines for her comments about the opening ceremony’s threesome reference.
“We are transitioning from the liberty portion, which got us a little hot and bothered in the pouring rain,” she said during the broadcast.
She and Kotb were some of Team USA’s biggest cheerleaders throughout the sporting events, especially for the women’s gymnastics team. “The stadium went wild for @teamusa !!!!!!!!” read the caption of a video shared via Today’s Instagram account, showing the duo waving an American flag at the women’s gymnastics team final on July 30.
In addition to attending competitions and visiting Paris landmarks with his Today colleagues — such as Versailles and the Arc de Triomphe — Roker also got to spend quality time with his daughter Leila, 25, who lives in France.
“Best part of covering the @nbcolympics for @todayshow? Getting to hang with my resident #parisian @cleilapatra_,” Roker captioned an Instagram selfie with his youngest daughter on July 30. (He shares Leila and son Nick, 22, with his wife, Deborah Roberts, as well as his eldest daughter Courtney, 37, with his ex-wife, Alice Bell.)
Guthrie was joined by her kids —daughter Vale, 9, and son Charley, 7, whom she shares with her husband, Michael Feldman — in Paris earlier this week for her final days abroad.
Ahead of their arrival, Guthrie, Kotb and Melvin were all surprised with videos from their kids on the Friday, August 2, episode of Today. (Kotb shares daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, with her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman. Melvin shares son Delano, 10, and daughter Sybil, 7, with his wife, Lindsay Czarniak.)
The sweet gesture got the TV personalities in their feels. “We’re gonna need some tissues,” Guthrie remarked, while Kotb called the clips “so sweet.”
The 2024 Paris Olympics conclude with the closing ceremony on Sunday, August 11. The show airs on NBC and Peacock at 2 p.m. ET and will re-air at 7 p.m. ET.