Nathan Congleton/TODAYMatt Lauer kicks off most days next to Savannah Guthrie, so his 20th anniversary on Today couldn't go any other way.
The Today co-anchor was showered with praise Friday morning while celebrating two official decades with the morning news program. While Guthrie and colleague Dylan Dreyer have been on maternity leave for the week of celebrations, they would not miss the opportunity to surprise their work partner on the plaza.
"What are you doing?" Lauer asked Guthrie in shock when he spotted her on set.
"I couldn't miss it!" she told him as they gave each other a big hug.
"You texted me 20 minutes ago," he added. "It's so good to see you guys! How are you?" Still, he was hoping there were two more surprises. "Where are the babies? Did you bring the babies?" he inquired.
"This is your moment," Guthrie reminded him. "We did not want to miss it."
"This is the first time we've seen each other since like the first day you had your baby," Lauer revealed. Guthrie gave birth to her second child, son Charles Max Feldman, in early December. Still, she could squeeze in some brief time away to help celebrate her professional role model.
"Matt, you know this, but I've looked up to you all my life because you're so old," she joked in front of the crowd. "I just want to say we adore you."
"Sending all kinds of love to @MLauer on his 20th @TODAYshow anniversary. A class act, great friend and once in a generation talent," the journalist tweeted before the big reveal. Once the surprise was over, the lucky lady headed home to shed her heels.
"So fun to surprise @MLauer on his 20th!" she wrote to followers. "Now, back home to my sweat pants #ML20."
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)