Anything can, and does, happen on live television. The hosts of the Today Show were stunned when a guest dropped the f-bomb on live TV and then followed it up with more cursing. Keep reading for all the details on the shocking incident.

Hoda Kotb Returns To Morning Television For Heartbreaking Reason

Hoda Kotb left the Today Show in early 2025 to spend more time with her two daughters, Haley, 8, and Hope, 6. She adopted the children with her former fiance, Joel Schiffman. The two split in 2022, but remained friends and co-parents the kids together.
‘Today Show’ Hosts YouTube
Family is the reason why Hoda Kotb is back on the morning show. She stepped in while Savannah Guthrie navigates a very devastating, and very public, family crisis. The longtime anchor’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing in late January and has yet to be found. Authorities believe the elderly woman, 84, was kidnapped, but don’t know by whom or why. The investigation is ongoing.

Today Host Stunned After Guest Drops F-Bomb On Air

The Today Show hosts were close with Savannah Guthrie’s mother, so it hits close to home for them, too. However, they rely on their professionalism to get through the morning shows. They recently welcomed an Olympic medalist and were stunned when the guest dropped the f-bomb on live television.

Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin took home the gold in the women’s slalom event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She was a guest on the Today Show after her big win. She opened up during the interview about how losing her father in 2020 inspired her win in the 2026 Games. In a surprise moment, she accidentally dropped the f-bomb during the live interview.
Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin drops f-bomb on ‘Today’/Credit: YouTube
“I think there’s been, definitely, a spiritual journey I’ve been on the last year. I just, I don’t know, I took a moment and I said, ‘F**king…’” Mikaela Shiffrin said before trailing off when she realized her mistake. But what she said next only made it worse.

“S**t! Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed after her initial profanity. Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin burst into laughter at the flub. Hoda Kotb assured the Olympian that they would pay the fines from the FCC on her behalf. Craig Melvin assured Mikaela Shiffrin that it was “OK” because she was wearing gold. The f-bomb and follow-up cursing aired live on TV but were bleeped out on the YouTube upload.

Mikaela Shiffrin later issued another apology and explained what might have happened. “I also have not been drinking for probably two years now, at least. So, everybody kept handing me espresso martinis because I said that it was, like, my destiny to have one last night,” she explained.

The Olympic medalist added, “So, everybody kept bringing them to me, which may be some of the reason for the swearing. So sorry again.”

The hosts of the Today Show handled the moment the best they could.