EVERYONE’S TEAM HODA!

The rest of the Today crew — (from left, on Jan. 2) Al Roker, Carson Daly, Savannah Guthrie, Kathie Lee Gifford, Jenna Bush Hager and Dylan Dreyer — has Hoda’s back in her ongoing feud with Megyn. “Al, for one, hasn’t liked Megyn’s arrogant, haughty manne

permanent replacement on Jan. 2, it was Megyn’s turn to be livid. “Megyn felt she was NBC’S golden girl and had believed she’d waltz right into Matt’s anchor spot,” the insider tells Life & Style. It was Hoda’s warmth and chemistry with Savannah, 46, that won over bosses and audiences, though. While Megyn has struggled in the ratings since her September debut, the team of Savannah and Hoda helped Today beat out competitors Good Morning America and CBS This Morning for seven consecutive weeks after Matt’s firing. “By all accounts, Today should have suffered with the news of Matt’s disgusting behavior. Megyn didn’t add anything to turn that around — in fact, tests showed she was still hugely unpopular,” notes the NBC source. “Hoda and her great partnership with Savannah are what saved the day.”

While Hoda won the battle for Matt’s position, Megyn is still outearning her. By a lot. Hoda’s reportedly making $7 million a year for hosting three hours of Today (Hoda’s kept her 10 a.m. gig alongside Kathie Lee Gifford), compared to the $23 million Megyn makes annually. (She signed a three-year, $69 million deal.) “Hoda is taking the high road publicly when it comes to the enormous salary difference,” says the insider. “After all, Hoda is the ultimate team player. But behind the scenes, she’s seething.” If things don’t change, it could lead to furious fights over salary issues. “Hoda’s on-air more than twice as much as Megyn,” notes the insider, adding that it would gall anyone to know that their “frenemy earns more than three times as much!”

ODD ONE OUT

Hoda is getting the last laugh now. “She held some sway in the decision to leave Megyn off the roster

for the Winter Olympics in South Korea,” the insider reveals. “Megyn’s pissed about not making the cut. She feels that working the games would have raised her TV profile immensely.” But after getting Hoda’s input, the insider says, producers decided that Hoda, Savannah, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, Willie Geist, Craig Melvin, Lester Holt and Dylan Dreyer would all be headed to Pyeongchang, and not Megyn.

Even former Today host Katie Couric, who left NBC in 2006, has been brought back to help cover the competition, co-hosting the opening ceremony with sportscaster Mike Tirico. “Megyn’s not morning-host material, and everyone — the executives and the audience — have learned that the hard way,” says the NBC source. “Megyn is a tough cookie, she prides herself on being taken seriously. So it’s hard for her to loosen up, which is evident when you watch her show. It’s hard work for her to be casual, to laugh and be relatable. It’s very forced.”

NO END IN SIGHT

At one point, Hoda was the only Today staffer to make nice with Megyn. “Hoda is a naturally friendly person and she really reached out to Megyn when she first joined the show,” says the insider. “Hoda went out of her way to be hospitable. But time after time, Megyn showed Hoda her true mean- girl colors, sometimes seeming to ignore her as a colleague and treating her like a minor-league personality when it comes to morning show talent.”

In fact, during her firstever appearance as an NBC anchor, Megyn shaded Hoda by greeting Savannah and Matt, and not Hoda, who lifted her hands in exasperation after her welcome was ignored. Matt wasn’t oblivious to the newbie’s antics. “He was at odds with Megyn from the get-go,” says the insider. “He’s kept in contact with Hoda and Savannah and has been secretly texting them anchor advice as well as pointers on how to make sure they beat Megyn in the ratings.”

It helps that famous guests like Jane Fonda are choosing to come on when Hoda is hosting, not Megyn. “Megyn felt angry and betrayed by how Hoda laughed at Jane’s joke,” says the insider. “They remain cordial on-camera but barely speak to each other once they’ve stopped rolling. The war between Hoda and Megyn is at a crisis point.”