Savannah Guthrie has made a rare admission that she felt like a “failure” after her “terrible” divorce from her ex-husband, former BBC journalist Mark Orchard, in 2009.
“I was in my 30s. I felt old, but now I realize I was much younger, and I was sad about that,” Guthrie, 54, reflected on Wednesday in the debut episode of Hoda Kotb’s new YouTube series “Joy Ride.”
“And then I started a new job at a place called NBC, and I was trying really hard to make my own way and make my little dreams come true while other dreams were falling apart.”
“So I had to really dig deep and I felt like a failure,” said Guthrie, a former “Today” show co-host.
The author of “What God Does in the Lord: Thoughts on Seeking and Finding God’s Love Everywhere” added that the breakthrough moment came when he turned to his faith for answers.
“I realized that I didn’t have to be perfect to be loved by God,” she continued. “I didn’t even have to come close because I was definitely a failure.”
“And I really felt loved and supported by God. That was such an important and essential moment in my life,” Guthrie said.
The former “Today” show co-anchor last commented on his “sad” breakup with Orchard on Monica Lewinsky’s “Reclaiming” podcast in July 2025.
“It was horribly sad and heartbreaking,” she said, adding, “It took me years to recover.”
However, she clarified at the time, “I’m not blaming anyone, but I don’t want to get too involved.”
Guthrie was married for four years to Orchard, whom she met while covering the Michael Jackson trial. The two married in 2005. The former couple have no children.
The journalist ended up marrying former political advisor Michael Feldman, whom she married in 2014. The couple have two children, daughter Vale, 11, and son Charlie, 9. The two celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in May 2024.
