Savannah Guthrie reveals 'Today' show leave of absence after missing episodes

The morning talk-show host, who previously took a hiatus amid her mother's disappearance, recently stirred speculation with several unexplained absences.Unlike a head-scratching Wordle puzzle, Savannah Guthrie is spelling it all out for us.The longtime "Today" show host, who's stirred speculation with several unexplained absences, addressed her status on the morning talk show during an appearance Thursday, July 16.Guthrie, who was announced in May as the host of NBC's upcoming Wordle game show, said she will be taking a brief hiatus from "Today" as production on the new series gets underway."I'm headed over to shoot Wordle over the next few weeks," Guthrie, 54, said. "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."Guthrie's announcement comes a week after the Emmy-winning television journalist had a string of absences from the "Today" show. Sheinelle Jones, cohost of "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle," covered for her on July 8 alongside Craig Melvin, while fellow "Today" anchor Laura Jarrett filled her slot on July 9. The reason for Guthrie's absences was not disclosed on either show.Jarrett took over for Guthrie again on July 10, followed by Jones on July 13. The "Today" host returned to the news desk on Tuesday, July 14, with Melvin noting she was back after "some much-deserved time off."This isn't the first time Guthrie has taken a break from Studio 1A for Wordle duties. In June, the news personality missed an episode because she was "starting production meetings" for the upcoming game show, Melvin explained at the time.The NBC competition series, produced by "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon, will challenge players to "solve five-letter word puzzles in a supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun." During the show's May 11 announcement, Guthrie shared that filming for the pilot was meant to happen in March but was delayed by the 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, thanking Fallon and the other producers.Savannah Guthrie's latest 'Today' show hiatus comes months after mother's disappearanceGuthrie 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: Kelly Lawler and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

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