The ‘TODAY Show’: What happened to Savannah Guthrie?

Like the familiar faces on soap operas or warm voices on a favorite radio show, TODAY co-hosts are cozy parts of many people’s mornings. It would be awful if Hoda Kotb left the show, especially since she and Savannah Guthrie chat like BFFs in every episode. Many never want to see this lovely dream team go anywhere.

While viewers know Guthrie well thanks to the fact that she has been a co-host since 2012, there have been several moments when they’ve wondered where she is. Is she still joining Kotb onscreen?

Why wasn’t Savannah Guthrie on TODAY?

There have been several times when Guthrie didn’t co-host TODAY, which made fans worry she was leaving or that something terrible happened. Viewers will remember when Al Roker took two months off because of his health. Good news for viewers (and an inspiring reminder in general): Guthrie sometimes takes time away from the show so she can hang out with her family and relax.

When fans were concerned that she didn’t co-host the episode on June 20th, 2024, Kotb said Guthrie was “taking some well-deserved time off,” according to NBC.com. Guthrie did the same thing back in April when she exited before an episode wrapped up. As Us Weekly reported, Kotb said, “Savannah left a little early today to get her weekend started.”

Hosting a morning show is no easy feat and requires a lot of discipline. It’s nice to hear that Guthrie makes room in her schedule for some chill time. Of course, since she’s a mom of two kids named Charley and Vale, sometimes another anchor takes her place on TODAY so she can be there for her little ones. In September 2023, The New York Post reported that she only hosted part of an episode because she brought her kids to their first day back at school.

Considering Guthrie takes care of herself and knows when she needs to take a break from TODAY, it’s no wonder she has talked about juggling the various parts of her life. She shared with Refinery 29 that her day starts at 3:00a.m. and she’s at work at 5:30a.m. (which might make that 9:00a.m. start time for regular jobs feel a little more pleasant). In an interview with E! News in 2018, she said she’s uncertain “balance really exists.” While she’s at work a lot more than usual sometimes, she said, “There are times where it’s a little bit lighter and it’s all about family.”

Even though she works a lot (and TODAY fans wouldn’t want it any other way), Guthrie makes sure to find some time for travel. In February 2024, Us Weekly reported that Guthrie and co-host Jenna Bush Hager went to Florida with their kids. And, according to TODAY, when Guthrie was reporting on the 2024 Olympics in Paris, she told her children they could join her. Can any parent compete with that?!