They’re the familiar faces that millions of people see every single day when they tune into their favorite morning shows, but these hosts were also once just high school students with a dream to be on TV.
Long before they had any idea that they would be fronting programs such as Today and Good Morning America, these celebrities were normal teenagers attending classes and playing sports.
Nowadays they might sport megawatt smiles, sleek hairdos, and designer clothing, but back when they were pupils, some of TV’s most famous faces owned dodgy haircuts, cheesy grins and a questionable fashion sense – and there’s photos to prove it.
The black-and-white shots show some of the small screen’s most lovable names posing for their yearbook photos back in the 70s and 80s.
Despite some familiarities to their current appearances, fans would certainly be forgiven for not recognizing most of them in the epic throwback snaps.
Here, DailyMail.com looks back at the illustrious careers and personal lives of these seven television stars, but can you guess who they are?
This TV star was born in Australia and has been working at NBC for more than 17 years now
She’s been working for NBC for more than 17 years now, but this TV anchor was originally born in Melbourne, Australia, and had no idea she’d be a household name in the States.
Having moved to the U.S. when she was just a small child, the now 52-year-old graduated from Amphitheater High School in Tucson, Arizona.
This TV favorite is pictured here at Amphitheater High School in Tucson, Arizona in 1986
She received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Arizona, graduating cum laude in 1993.
The host was also a member of the Arizona Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi.
Her first job in broadcasting was at KTVM, the NBC affiliate in Butte, Montana; she started in October 1993, but on her 10th day at the station, the local news operation was closed.
This blonde star then went to work at ABC affiliate KMIZ in Columbia, Missouri, where she worked for two years before returning to Tucson and a job with NBC affiliate KVOA in 1995.
After five years in Arizona, she took a job at WRC-TV, Washington, D.C. where she covered major stories, including the September 11 attack on the Pentagon and the 2001 anthrax attacks.
After working several years as a broadcast journalist, Guthrie chose to resume her higher education, receiving a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2002.
It’s none other than Savannah Guthrie, the main co-anchor of the NBC News morning show Today, a position she has held since July 2012.
This much-loved TV host has been married to her husband, Michael Feldman, since March 2014 and they have two children together: 10-year-old daughter Vale, and son Charley, who will celebrate his 8th birthday on December 8.
Savannah Guthrie, pictured here in October, is now a mother of two and the main co-anchor of the NBC News morning show Today
Father-of-three and weather presenter who began his lengthy career with NBC all the way back in 1978
This weather presenter is pictured at the age of 18 here at Xavier High School in New York in 1972
This weather presenter and TV journalist is one of the most lovable faces on television and celebrated his 70th birthday back in August.
Born in 1954 in Queens, New York City, he initially wanted to be a cartoonist when he was growing up and graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan.
Following that, this father-of-three attended the State University of New York at Oswego where he received a B.A. in communications in 1976.
He worked as a weather anchor for CBS affiliate WHEN-TV (now WTVH) in Syracuse, New York from 1974 until 1976, while studying and also DJ’d at the campus radio station, WNYO.
He then moved to Washington, D.C. and took a weathercasting position at independent station WTTG, then owned by Metromedia, remaining there for much of the next two years.
The TV stalwart began his career with NBC all the way back in 1978 and has worked his way up to be one of Today’s main anchors.
It’s the one and only Al Roker, whose studio remote forecasts, interviewing visitors outside and giving them some camera time has become somewhat of a staple.
Al is married to fellow broadcaster Deborah Roberts and has three children, and also became a grandfather last year when his daughter, Courtney, welcomed her first child.
Al Roker has been a permanent fixture on the Today show for many years and presents the weather too
Al, who is now 70, pictured with his wife, Deborah Roberts, and his three kids: Courtney, Leila and Nick
A familiar face on Good Morning America who was once named All American Athlete in her senior year
This well-known broadcaster is pictured here in her senior year at Garden City High School in 1987
This television host is best known for her role as co-anchor on Good Morning America, where she has worked since 1999.
Having grown up in the New York suburb of Garden City, Long Island, she graduated from Garden City High School in 1987.
She went on to attend Pennsylvania State University on an athletic scholarship for springboard and platform diving, and was a nationally ranked competitive diver.
This blonde star was named an All American Athlete in 1991, her senior year, and graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism.
Following college, she went into the NBC page program, where she would volunteer to work with other reporters in order to gain experience. From there, she landed a position at the CBS affiliate WDEF-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee as a multimedia journalist shooting and producing her own stories.
A year later, she joined News 12 Long Island and two years later, she began to anchor overnight news updates for WABC-TV, before joining ABC in 1999.
It’s none other than Lara Spencer, who was also the creator and executive producer of the prime time game show, It’s Worth What?
Lara is best known for being the co-anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America, and she also works as a correspondent for Nightline and ABC News.
Lara Spencer, pictured here in July, is best known for being the co-anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America
A father-of-four who started his career at MTV and hosts various television shows including Today
This TV host, who fronts one of the biggest reality shows, is pictured here in 1988 at Santa Monica High School
This TV star’s resume is certainly an impressive one as he’s been fronting some of the most popular shows since the 90s.
Born in California in June 1973, he attended Santa Monica High School and was a member of the school’s golf team before graduating in 1991.
He then attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles but dropped out to pursue a professional career in golf.
He began his broadcasting career at the radio station KOME in San Jose, California, which is where he was recruited by MTV to be a VJ.
After relocating to New York City, he began hosting MTV Live and then fronted Total Request Live (TRL) from 1998 to 2003, where he interviewed many celebrity guests.
It’s the one and only Carson Daly, who has been hosting and producing NBC’s reality music competition The Voice since 2011, and also joined morning show Today as a social media correspondent in 2013, with his role increasing in subsequent years becoming a cohost.
The father-of-four recently told DailyMail.com exclusively that he ‘cannot wait to get off television,’ but his workload clearly says otherwise.
As well as hosting the weekly top 30 countdown show The Daly Download with Carson Daly, he also fronts special event programming for NBC, such as the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks show, and serves as executive producer for New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly from Times Square.
Carson Daly, pictured here in June, hosts Today as well as the popular NBC TV series The Voice
Carson, pictured here in 2020, said he can’t wait to get off television so that he can spend more time with his four children
This beloved host has enjoyed a very successful TV career and is also the author of six bestselling books
This much-loved TV host is pictured in 1981 in her junior year at Fort Hunt High School
This beloved TV host devastated viewers recently when she announced she’d be leaving her role at NBC in the new year.
Born in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1964, she grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, and graduated from Fort Hunt High School in 1982.
This now mother-of-two graduated from Virginia Tech in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism and has been working as a reporter since 1988 when she joined ABC affiliate WQAD in Moline, Illinois for a year, before becoming a weekend anchor and reporter at CBS affiliate WINK in Fort Myers, Florida, until 1991.
For the next six years, this broadcaster lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, working as an anchor and reporter for CBS affiliate WWL, and then officially joined NBC News in April 1998 as a correspondent for Dateline NBC and all NBC News platforms.
As well as having a hugely successful television career, this Oklahoma-born star is also the author of six bestselling books, has won a Daytime Emmy Award, and launched a podcast back in 2021 that is still going strong.
It’s everyone’s favorite TV star, Hoda Kotb, who recently moved to the suburbs with her two daughters, Haley, seven, and Hope, four, and will leave the Today show in early January.
When she announced her departure back in September, Hoda, now, 60, said: ‘My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie. I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.’
Hoda Kotb will be departing the Today show in January 2025 after celebrating her 60th birthday in August of this year
The TV host made the decision to quit Today so that she could spend more time with her daughters Haley and Hope
A father-of-two who once served as a senior advisor to President Bill Clinton in the 90s
This Good Morning America star is pictured here in his senior year at Orange High School in Pepper Pike in 1978
This father-of-two is a political commentator, and former Democratic advisor who currently cohosts Good Morning America.
Born in in Fall River, Massachusetts, in February 1961, he graduated in 1978 from Orange High School in Pepper Pike.
He then received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science summa cum laude from Columbia University in New York in 1982.
Not content with just one degree, he also attended Balliol College at the University of Oxford in England, as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a Master of Arts in Theology in 1984.
It’s the one and only George Stephanopoulos, who once served as senior advisor to Bill Clinton when he was President, and also worked as White House Communications Director.
After leaving the White House at the end of Bill’s first term, George became a political analyst for ABC News, and served as a correspondent on This Week, ABC’s Sunday morning public affairs program; World News Tonight, the evening news broadcast; and Good Morning America, along with other various special broadcasts.
Following Diane Sawyer’s departure from World News at the end of August 2014, George was the Chief Anchor at ABC News from 2014 to 2020 while retaining his roles on GMA and This Week.
He also leads a new documentary unit for Disney’s digital platforms and hosts four primetime hour-long specials on the ABC network annually.
George has been married to his wife, actress and comedian Ali Wentworth, since 2001 and they have two daughters together: Elliott, 21, and Harper, 19.
George Stephanopoulos, pictured here in March, is a regular face on Good Morning America
George and his wife of more than 20 years, Ali Wentworth, pictured in New York City earlier this month
A legendary TV star who was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2018
A legendary broadcaster pictured in her senior year at Menlo-Atherton High School in 1972
This iconic TV personality, broadcast journalist and author is preparing to celebrate her 70th birthday on December 28 – but she’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The lady in question was born in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in psychology.
She began her career as a production assistant at WJZ-TV in Baltimore, where she met Oprah Winfrey, an anchor for the station at the time.
She later trained as a reporter at WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. and after working at WJZ, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where she was a weekend anchor and general-assignment reporter at WDAF-TV.
In 1981, she was hired as a news anchor for WFSB in Hartford, Connecticut, where she worked for 18 years and then as a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show.
It is the one and only Gayle King, who has not only hosted her very own TV show but also served as editor of O, The Oprah Magazine.
Before joining CBS News, Gayle worked as a special correspondent for Good Morning America.
In November 2011, she secured a deal with CBS to co-anchor CBS This Morning, beginning in January 2012.
Gayle King, pictured here on November 5, currently works for CBS News and fronts CBS Mornings
She received recognition for remaining stoic during a 2019 interview with R. Kelly, who rose from his chair and began to scream and beat his chest in an interview discussing the sexual abuse allegations made against him.
Gayle has been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and was also chosen as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2019.
She is currently a co-anchor on CBS Mornings and was previously married to William Bumpus, an attorney and an assistant attorney general, from 1982 until 1993.
The former couple share a daughter named Kirby, 38, and a 37-year-old son called William Bumpus Jr.
