Savannah Guthrie November Vogue Interview: 'Change Is Hard'

Savannah Guthrie sat down with Vogue's Rebecca Johnson for an interview about the NBC journalist's new gig co-hosting the "Today" show.

Guthrie's interview appeared in the November issue of Vogue, of which singer Rihanna graced the cover.

Johnson asked Guthrie a simple but difficult question, which caused Guthrie to ask to discuss off the record: "did she want the job co-anchoring the 'Today' show?"

When Guthrie returned to speaking on the record, the NBC host had a diplomatic response:

"I am incredibly grateful to be given an opportunity to do a job that a lot of women I respect and admire have done before me...and I respect that the transition has been difficult for our viewers. Change is hard."

Guthrie was alluding to the ratings trouble the NBC morning show has found itself in since the program's leadership decided to replace former co-host Ann Curry in June. Guthrie joined "Today" as the co-host of the 9:00 a.m. hour when Meredith Vieira left the show in June 2011, a departure that caused Ann Curry to assume the co-anchor chair next to Matt Lauer.

The "Today" show's ratings were already slipping throughout Curry's year-long tenure as co-host. ABC rival "Good Morning America" broke the "Today" show's 16-year winning streak as the number one show in morning television, a defeat from which the NBC morning show has yet to fully recover. The show experienced a short-lived ratings bump during its coverage of the 2012 London Olympics, but has failed to fully bounce back now that Guthrie has taken over the role.

Johnson also asked Guthrie about her romantic life—past and present—a conversation topic that seemed to evoke an emotional response from the NBC morning host. Guthrie was married in 2005 to then-BBC producer Mark Orchard. The two divorced in 2009. She is now dating political communications adviser Michael Feldman.

"When I gently probed about the cause of the divorce, [Guthrie's] eyes filled with tears 'Ok,' [Guthrie] announced, 'this is the lunch from hell.' In other words, no comment."

The "Today" show recently announced that MSNBC "Morning Joe" co-host Willie Geist will replace Guthrie's former 9 a.m.-hosting gig. He will assume his role on the "Today" show on Nov. 12, and continue to appear on "Morning Joe" during the 6:00 a.m. hour.

To read Guthrie's full interview, pick up a copy of the print edition of Vogue, available now on newsstands.