The stars of Today often support each other through thick and thin, whether they’re experiencing exciting book deals, illness, baby news, or even surprise exits from the show. But the team even supports each other through the little moments too.
© Getty ImagesHoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie helped their co-anchor Craig Melvin ahead of the Halloween special for the show to get into character, as all members of the cast dress up every year in line with a special theme. This year’s theme was VHS rewind, with hosts appearing on screen as throwback characters from classic movies.
© John NacionCraig came dressed as Axel F. Foley, Eddie Murphy’s iconic character from Beverly Hills Cop, but hee later told viewers that he “had to thank Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie” because he was “struggling with the laugh”.
“I watched the videos and I was practicing my laugh, and they were like ‘No. You’ve got to inhale and breathe,'” he revealed.
© John NacionIt seems their advice paid off, as the star gave an uncanny attempt at that distinctive laugh associated with Eddie Murphy. Craig further paid homage to the star with a classic 80s hair and mustache combo, and that iconic Letterman jacket.
The stars pulled out all the stops, with Hoda and Jenna Bush Hager dressing as Jack and Rose from Titanic, Willie Geist coming as Ron Burgundy, and Savannah pulling off an iconic Elle Woods costume with Luke Wilson making a cameo as Emmett.
Dylan Dreyer and Al Roker came as Lydia Deetz and Beetlejuice, while Sheinelle Jones and Carson Daly dressed as Foxxy Cleopatra and Austin Powers.
Craig said of the special episode: “I love Halloween, it’s the prom of the Today show.”
He added: “I remember when I started many years ago, it was made abundantly clear to me that the show takes Halloween just as seriously as it takes anything else. I’m honored to be part of it every year.”
This will sadly be Hoda’s last year dressing up for Halloween on the show, as the star is stepping down from her role after 17 years. It appears she will shift into a new role at NBC, meaning that it might not be goodbye for good. But the star will leave at the start of 2025 in order to spend more time with her daughters, Hope and Haley.
© NBC“I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old, because I started thinking about that decade like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What’s it going to have for me? And I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” she told her co-hosts in her tearful announcement.
