Savannah Guthrie will not be around for the new year on Today, but fans can rest assured that her absence will only be temporary. The talk show host revealed during the December 19 episode of Today that she will be away from the show for a few weeks in 2026.
Savannah Guthrie explains why she is taking a break from Today
Savannah Guthrie, a co-anchor of Today, will step away from the show for several weeks in early 2026. During the December 19, 2025, episode, she explained her absence to co-anchors Craig Melvin, Al Roker, and Sheinelle Jones.
Guthrie shared that she will undergo vocal cord surgery in the coming weeks and will be temporarily absent from Today as a result (via NBC).
“Some of you have noticed that my voice has been very scratchy and started to crack a little bit like Peter Brady, who was going through a change,” Guthrie explained. “Well, I have found out what it is. I have vocal nodules, and now I also have a polyp. It’s not a big, big deal, but I am going to have surgery early in the new year and be off for a couple of weeks. So it’s my last day for a little while. I just want to let everyone know, and if you’ve been wondering, do I have the world’s longest head cold? No, I don’t.”
Vocal nodules and polyps are relatively common conditions that can affect a person’s voice. Following surgery, patients are typically required to rest their voice for several weeks.
“You’ll love this, guys. I have to be silent for a couple of weeks, totally silent,” Guthrie joked. “Christmas coming early for my family.”
Co-host Sheinelle Jones, who previously underwent the same procedure, offered encouragement and highlighted an upside of the recovery period. “The silver lining is you have permission to be still,” Jones said. “The house gets quiet. The kids are going to want to help you out.”
As a result, Savannah Guthrie will be absent from Today for the first few weeks of 2026 before returning to the show.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
