Savannah Guthrie will be stepping away from her duties at “TODAY” for a brief hiatus, though her upcoming absence is unrelated to her mother’s ongoing disappearance.
On the July 16 episode of the morning show, the host herself announced she would be off for a few weeks to work on another project, the previously announced “Wordle.” Guthrie will serve as host for the game show, produced by Jimmy Fallon.
“I’m headed over to shoot Wordle over the next few weeks,” Guthrie explained on the Thursday episode. “We’re going to shoot the whole season, and we’re super excited. Cannot wait for everyone to see it. It’ll probably air, I think, in the New Year.”
Savannah Guthrie’s New Gig
Guthrie’s upcoming “Wordle” game show is inspired by the mobile game of the same name.
Describing the series when it was first announced back in May 2026, NBC said it “challenges players to solve five-letter word puzzles in a supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun.”
“It builds on the way the puzzle community engages with Wordle every day — solving together, sharing wins, debating strategies and cheering one another on,” added the official synopsis. “Now, that style of play comes to life as the most-obsessed and competitive players will team up in squads and go head-to-head in the ‘Wordle’ arena, playing for an incredible cash prize.”
Guthrie, per NBC, was a big fan of the mobile game before taking on the gig.
Guthrie’s Mother’s Disappearance
Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was kidnapped from her Arizona home on February 1, 2026. More than five months later, she continues to be missing.
The FBI is offering up to a $100,000 reward for information leading to Nancy’s discovery and urges anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. The Guthrie family has also offered their own million-dollar reward amid the search for answers.
When “Wordle” was first announced back in May, Guthrie—according to USA Today—explained that filming on the pilot was meant to start in March, but it was delayed when her mother went missing. The host took a leave of absence from “TODAY” in February, following the abduction, before returning to the show in April.
“When everything happened with me and my family, they just stopped everything and said we’ll wait for you,” Guthrie said at the time, thanking all those involved in the series for giving her time. She added, “Hollywood is like a really tough business, and I didn’t expect that.”
The upcoming hiatus follows a few “TODAY” absences by Guthrie, who has missed previous tapings of the morning show while either on assignment or due to prior “Wordle” production. Most recently, she was out on July 8, 9, 10, and 13, with viewers speculating her absence was due to her mother’s disappearance.
She returned on July 13; however, co-anchor Craig Melvin said she simply had some “much-deserved time off.” Guthrie went on to explain that she had been spending time with family, watching the World Cup.
