Savannah Guthrie’s First Day as Co-Anchor on ‘Today,’ No Chance for Natalie Morales

FILE - In this Aug. 10, 2011 file photo provided by NBC, "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie appears on the set during a broadcast, in New York. Guthrie was welcomed Monday, July 9, 2012, by her co-host, Matt Lauer, after replacing Ann Curry as co-host on the popular morning news program. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer, File) (© NBCUniversal, Inc.)

Guess there is no chance for Natalie Morales to be top dog on the “Today” show after all.

NBC News anchor and legal chief Savannah Guthrie was all smiles as she debuted on Monday as the “Today” show’s new co-anchor.

Matt Lauer, her co-host, welcomed her warmly on the popular morning show, after she replaced Ann Curry, who left the show in tears a few weeks ago after ratings dropped.

The last few months the popular morning show become involved in its closest battle in the ratings since the mid-1990s.

Lauer told Guthrie he was happy that she was bringing her "weird sense of humor" to the show.
Guthrie said there were few jobs that could accurately be described as fun, but this was one of them.

Competitor "Good Morning America" on ABC has a big day, too. The show is launching a summertime afternoon spinoff series called "Good Afternoon America."

Rumors where swirling last week when Natalie Morales, one of the anchors on the “Today” show was not given the title of co-anchor. There was speculation that the veteran journalist Morales was going to tell the "Today" show to take a hike if she was not offered the co-host gig with Matt Lauer.

Morales, who is Puerto Rican and Brazilian, was technically next in line to take over when Curry was host.

Morales has been with the "Today" show since 2006. She was named as a possible candidate to replace Meredith Vieira when she stepped down as co-anchor last year.

"This will be the second time [Natalie] has been passed over for the top job. And she's not happy," the source told the Post a few weeks ago. It remains to be seen if that will actually happen.

"Natalie couldn't be happier in her current role," another source told the New York Post.

The show was the top morning show for 852 weeks, until ABC's "Good Morning America" broke their winning streak in April.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.