Savannah Guthrie reveals ‘Today’ show leave of absence after missing episodes
Savannah Guthrie Explains Her Recent "Today" Show Absences as She Prepares for Wordle Game Show
Savannah Guthrie reveals Today show leave - Just as viewers struggle to decipher a particularly tricky Wordle puzzle, Savannah Guthrie has finally provided clarity regarding her recent disappearances from the "Today" show. The veteran morning television personality, whose unexplained gaps from the program had generated considerable buzz, took to the airwaves on Thursday, July 16, to set the record straight about her current status.
Guthrie, who turns 54 this year, revealed that she is embarking on a short break from her regular "Today" show commitments. The timing aligns perfectly with the commencement of production work on NBC's highly anticipated Wordle game show, which she was officially named to host back in May. The network personality explained that she will be traveling to the filming location over the coming weeks to capture the entire season of the new program.
"I'm headed over to shoot Wordle over the next few weeks," Guthrie shared with viewers. "We're going to shoot the whole season, and we're super excited. [We] cannot wait for everyone to see it. It'll probably air in the New Year."
A Week of Unexplained Absences
Guthrie's public explanation arrives just one week after she experienced a notable series of absences from the morning program. On July 8, Sheinelle Jones, who co-hosts "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle," stepped in to cover Guthrie's segment alongside Craig Melvin. The following day, July 9, fellow "Today" anchor Laura Jarrett took over Guthrie's regular slot. Neither broadcast provided any official reason for the host's absence during those days.
The pattern of coverage continued as Jarrett once again filled in for Guthrie on July 10, with Jones returning to the desk on July 13. Finally, on Tuesday, July 14, Guthrie made her return to the news desk, where Melvin noted that she was back following "some much-deserved time off."
Wordle Show Details and Production Delays
This marks the second time Guthrie has stepped away from Studio 1A to focus on her Wordle responsibilities. Earlier in June, the news personality missed a single episode because she was attending "starting production meetings" for the upcoming game show, as Melvin explained at that time.
The NBC competition series, which is being produced by "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon, will feature contestants attempting to "solve five-letter word puzzles in a supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun." During the show's official announcement on May 11, Guthrie revealed that initial filming for the pilot episode was originally scheduled for March but faced delays due to the troubling disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, in February.
"When everything happened with me and my family, they just stopped everything and said we'll wait for you," Guthrie said, expressing her gratitude to Fallon and the production team.
Nancy Guthrie's Ongoing Disappearance
Guthrie's sudden departure from the "Today" show in February was directly connected to the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. The elderly woman was reported missing after what appeared to be a kidnapping from her Arizona residence. Nancy Guthrie was last spotted on January 31 within her Catalina Foothills neighborhood, located directly north of Tucson.
During February, the FBI made public images depicting an armed individual at Nancy's front door, seen tampering with the security camera before she vanished. To date, the person shown in these images remains unidentified. The Pima County Sheriff's Department continues its investigation into the elderly woman's disappearance, with law enforcement officials maintaining that she was taken from her home without consent.
The Guthrie family has announced a reward of up to $1 million for any information that leads to Nancy Guthrie's safe recovery. In a candid July 1 statement to CBS Tucson affiliate KOLD-TV, Guthrie opened up about the emotional impact of the situation.
"It is five months of agony and unending trauma for our family," Guthrie said. "There is not a moment that goes by that we aren't actively trying to find our mom. We thank the people of Tucson for holding her in their hearts, as well as both the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Office for their tireless work on behalf of our family. Bring her home."