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Savannah Guthrie
Where’s Savannah Guthrie? ‘Today’ host absent from multiple shows
The TV journalist returned to the morning talk show in April following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie
Edward SegarraUSA TODAY
Updated July 9, 2026, 1:59 p.m. ET
The news never stops, but Savannah Guthrie is taking a pause from the “Today” show
The Emmy-winning television journalist has been absent from the morning talk show for a pair of back-to-back episodes this week
Guthrie, who returned to “Today” in April following the disappearance of her mother Nancy Guthrie, was last seen on the broadcast Tuesday, July 7. Sheinelle Jones, cohost of “Today with Jenna & Sheinelle,” covered for her on Wednesday’s show alongside Craig Melvin, while fellow “Today” anchor Laura Jarrett filled her slot on Thursday, July 9
The reason for Guthrie’s absences was not disclosed on either show. USA TODAY has reached out to Guthrie’s representatives for comment
This isn’t the first time Guthrie has taken a break from Studio 1A
In June, the longtime “Today” host missed an episode because she was “starting production meetings on the Wordle game show coming to NBC later this year,” Melvin explained at the time. Guthrie was announced in May as the host of the upcoming series, which is based on the popular word game from The New York Times Games
Guthrie surprised viewers on Tuesday’s episode by completely switching her outfit mid-show
During a PopStart segment, she noticed she didn’t get the memo when Jones, Jenna Bush Hager and Dylan Dreyer all wore yellow while Guthrie was alone in wearing blue. Even co-anchor Melvin fit the color scheme with his yellow-and-blue striped tie
“You guys, did you really have a memo? I’m changing!” she told the others after realizing she was the odd one out
And so, without hesitation, Guthrie opted for a new look during the commercial break, donning a vibrant yellow gingham dress and turning heads when the episode returned. “I did [change], girls! I wanted to be with my ladies,” Guthrie said
Savannah Guthrie’s ‘Today’ show return comes after mother’s disappearance
Guthrie, 54, abruptly stepped away from the “Today” show in February following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing after an apparent kidnapping from her Arizona home
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Jan. 31 in her Catalina Foothills neighborhood, directly north of Tucson. In February, the FBI released images showing an armed person at Nancy’s front door tampering with the camera prior to her disappearance, but the suspect in the images has not been identified
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is continuing to investigate the elderly woman’s disappearance, as authorities believe she was taken from her home against her will. The Guthrie family has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her recovery
The “Today” host got candid on the emotional toll of her mother’s disappearance in a July 1 statement to CBS Tucson affiliate KOLD-TV
“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.”
Contributing: Anthony Robledo and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
