Those who tuned in to TODAY Friday morning saw Natalie Morales bid a bittersweet farewell to her pals in Studio 1A and to viewers with a heartfelt letter. But that message and the highlight reel that accompanied it aren’t the only ways her departure day is being honored.
Shortly after saying so long on the air, Natalie’s longtime friend and TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie took to Instagram to celebrate the beloved television journalist.
“So many adventures with this beautiful talented friend,” Savannah wrote alongside a collection of photos of her and Natalie having fun on and off the show. “@nataliemoralestv you’re my ride or die, the Shirley to my Laverne, my karaoke soul mate and the girl I want to snag red carpet dresses with forever! Congrats on your next adventure and such a legacy of love and integrity here at NBC!”
And then Savannah headed over to Twitter with more sweet words.
“What a legacy here of excellence and integrity for 22 years at NBC,” she tweeted. “@nmoralestv you are all class. We will miss you forever.”
Of course, Savannah wasn’t the only one who had a few words to share about the woman who’s made such a mark on TODAY.
During the show, Carson Daly raved about “NatMo,” saying, “When you work here at the TODAY show, you’re usually called upon to have a skill set — you know, you’re a great journalist — but watching that (highlight reel), you realize how great you were and are at everything you did. You’re like the Avengers, all in one!”
Related
And Al Roker said of her, “For 22 years, no matter what you have done, Natalie, you are still the same person — wonderful, warm. You have always been a good friend to everybody who’s been here. You treat everybody equally. I adore you.”
Al also shared a photo of him and Natalie on set, smiling ear-to-ear on Instagram Friday, as he expressed his joy about having her back on TODAY one last time.
He shared a group photo from the 3rd hour of TODAY, too, writing, "One of the great joys of my time at @nbcnews and @todayshow was working with (one) of the best, @nataliemoralestv And the good times we had on the #3rdhourtoday were #priceless."
And Natalie took a moment to post a photo of herself with Savannah and co-anchor Hoda Kotb in Studio 1A, too, on Friday.
“Here we go @todayshow!” she wrote. “It’s been way too long since I’ve seen these gorgeous faces @hodakotb @savannahguthrie! #goodtobeback if even for a day!”
And everyone at TODAY wishes her the best as she moves on to her next adventure.