Copyright TODAY
The first-ever TODAY Fan Fest kicked off Monday morning as viewers from all over gathered on Rockefeller Plaza. The new series of events, happening on dates in October and November, connects fans with their favorite TODAY anchors. The experiences include a sold-out Making Space wellness day with Hoda Kotb and Alicia Keys, a Taste of TODAY food event, a Read With Jenna girls’ night out and a live Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist. As part of the inaugural celebration, fans on the plaza Monday were given the opportunity to pose questions to some of the anchors: Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, Carson Daly and Dylan Dreyer. And who better to moderate than Bravo host Andy Cohen? Here’s what the TODAY anchors had been asked — and how they answered. For Savannah: Have Any Guests Made Her Starstruck? “A lot of times I get very giddy like a schoolgirl,” Savannah told two fans on the plaza from Rhode Island. There was one memorable star in particular, though. “When Harrison Ford was on, I literally feel like the whole interview was me trying to flirt with him,” she joked. “He was Han Solo! He is such a babe, and I just love him so much.” Ford wasn’t the only celebrity to give Savannah butterflies; she revealed that Kevin Costner and the ’80s band Duran Duran also made the list. For Craig: If Not on TODAY, What Other Career Path Would He Follow? Next up, a fan from Indianapolis wondered what other job Craig could see himself doing if he wasn’t a TODAY anchor. His answer was illuminating — literally. “Probably candle making,” he revealed, much to the surprise of Cohen and the other anchors. “I have found so much peace and solace over the last few years and, like, being in my garage pouring candles.” “I will say, I was not expecting that,” Cohen said. “You never know what’s going to happen at TODAY Fan Fest!” For Carson: What Happens Off-Camera During Commercial Breaks? A New Jersey fan asked Carson about what goes on behind the scenes when the TODAY cameras cut away to a commercial break. “There’s a lot of FaceTiming kids,” Carson revealed. “Then there immediately is an argument about the studio temperature.” “If you could hang beef in Studio 1A, you would. Like a freezer,” Carson said of Craig’s well-known preference for keeping studio temps on the frigid side, even though Savannah prefers it warmer, thus the morning battles. Other Studio 1A surprises? “Everybody swears like a truck driver during the commercial break, then buttons up when we’re back,” said Carson. “And a lot of grazing in the kitchen,” added Savannah. For Savannah: How Does She Pick Her Outfit for the Show Each Morning? A fan from Florida called Savannah’s fashion sense “fabulous” and then asked where she sources her wardrobe. Savannah replied by saying Craig, Al and Carson are the true fashionistas of the show, and she, like most people, stands in front of her closet in the mornings wondering what to wear. She also revealed that she buys all her own clothes and repeats outfits as necessary. And even though it appears as though she and Craig coordinate their on-air outfits ahead of time, they don’t. If they match, it’s a coincidence. “Sometimes it just works out,” said Savannah. For the Group: What Is It Like Traveling Together? If you’ve ever been curious what the TODAY family is like while traveling, a Connecticut fan asked about the team’s respective travel personalities. “Jenna organizes everything and has a really fun itinerary laid out,” answered Savannah, who continued by saying, “I like to get to the airport early.” According to Craig, Sheinelle is the one most likely to arrive late and Al dresses up, preferring to wear a sport coat to the airport. Carson said that he is the one most likely to be in the airport lounge with a bloody mary in his hand ahead of a flight. For the Group: What’s An On-Air Blooper They’ll Never Forget? Cohen jumped in with a question and asked if anyone had a blooper they vowed to never repeat. Carson replied with a snafu from when he was new to TODAY. He was still adjusting the teleprompter and accidentally mispronounced Leonardo DiCaprio’s name. “I said ‘Leonardo Di-Crap-io.’ And to this day, when I see Leonardo’s name in the prompter, my heartbeat starts to go,” Carson said. For Sheinelle: What Piece of Advice Did She Receive That She Still Keeps Today? During the 3rd Hour of TODAY, a fan asked Sheinelle about the best career advice she’s ever received and still refers to today. Sheinelle said someone gave words of wisdom while she was interning during her sophomore year in college: “Ask for what you want, take what you get, and use what you get to get what you want.” “And it’s true,” Sheinelle added. “Sometimes you take jobs you don’t necessarily want, but you just use it to get where you want and you just keep on climbing, my friend.” According to Dylan, her best advice came when she first arrived at TODAY. “They said, ‘You’re not Al Roker, so don’t try to be Al Roker,” she said with a laugh. “But the moral of the story is to be yourself. We already have an Al, we need a Dylan. Be yourself.”
