It looks like Savannah Guthrie isn’t just spreading Christmas cheer during the holiday season.
The former talk show host, 53, revealed on Tuesday’s episode of Jenna Bush Hager’s “Jenna & Friends” that she once spanked a male co-worker during a company holiday party.
This confession was made during the co-host’s “Girl Code” corner when he tried to give advice to a fan who had sent him a letter.
“The office holiday party is in a few days. My best friend at work, Jackie, is always ‘over-serving’ and gets unreasonably flirtatious at events like this. Last year she kept hanging on to our boss and she doesn’t remember any of it. Should I say something in advance or should I roll the dice?” the letter read.
“As someone who spanked a network correspondent at a holiday party, I have to say this…” Guthrie made the revelation, interrupting Bush Hager, who was jokingly asking if one of the producers had submitted the question.
Gasly then clarified: “I don’t actually think I did it because it was a spanking in the air. It wasn’t a hand (contact).”
She didn’t reveal who received the holiday spanking, but her co-host continued to ask more questions.
“Was it a man or a woman?” Bush Hager asked, to which Guthrie immediately replied, “Obviously it was a man!”
“You’ve hit me before,” Bush Hager retorted.
“Yeah, and I got in touch with you,” Guthrie admitted. “But we remain friends at that point.”
In response to a fan’s question, Guthrie advised fans to leave the issue alone, saying, “It’s not going to be well received.”
“She doesn’t remember that. I don’t think that’s going to be a good thing,” Guthrie continued.
Guthrie’s advice also became another Bush Hager joke. he asked teasingly. “But what if she’s worried about hitting someone and getting called to HR?”
She pointed out that a “best friend at work” may have different responsibilities than a personal friend.
“I don’t want to touch it myself, but I’m a wimp,” Guthrie said, doubling down.
Guthrie has co-hosted the Today show several times over the years since Hoda Kotb left the show in January.
After Kotub’s departure, the show was renamed “Jenna & Friends” and went through a series of potential guest hosts before selecting Sheinelle Jones as its new permanent co-host earlier this month.
Mr. Jones is expected to take up his post permanently on January 12, 2026.
