Confirmed: Savannah Guthrie To Replace Ann Curry On TODAY

USMagazine, Friday, June 29, 2012, 11:45am (PDT)

NBC has officially made its decision.

Savannah Guthrie will take Ann Curry's spot "effective immediately," the network said in a statement Friday.

"In just a few short years Savannah has become a standout member of the news division as well as the ultimate team player . . . she's got an undeniable range, and she's earned the trust of the news community, her colleagues and our viewers alike," NBC News President Steve Capus said. "I couldn't be happier for Savannah and the entire TODAY team."

Guthrie, 40, joined the TODAY show in 2011, serving as a co-host of the show's third hour, as well as the program's chief legal correspondent; before becoming a part of the TODAY team, she worked as NBC News' White House Correspondent.

In a move that shocked TODAY fans, Curry, 55, was ousted from her co-anchor seat after just one year in the role. Although she and Matt Lauer played nice on-camera during her final broadcast Thursday, a set source tells Us Weekly behind the scenes, "You could cut the tension with a knife."

"It was so icy on the set," the insider shares. "When the cameras stopped rolling, Ann wouldn't even look at Matt."

Adds another source, "They were really icy with each other . . . The body language between them has been extremely tense."

On Wednesday, Curry addressed the speculation that her lackluster chemistry with Matt Lauer was to blame for her firing.

"You know, Matt and I have had great on-air chemistry for 14 years, been part of the No. 1 winning team for a history-making number of years," she told USA Today. "That said, I just finished my freshman year as co-host. In every single co-host's first year, there have been kinks to be worked out, and perhaps I deserve as much blame for that as anyone."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Confirmed: Savannah Guthrie To Replace Ann Curry On TODAY