Why Savannah Guthrie is taking a leave of absence from "Today"

The morning show host is stepping away from the “Today” news desk for a few weeks.

Key Points

• Savannah Guthrie is taking a leave of absence from Today.
• The Today cohost will be off for a few weeks as she films the debut season of Wordle.
• The game show is executive-produced by Jimmy Fallon’s production company and The New York Times.

Savannah Guthrie is taking a leave of absence from Today to host her new game show, Wordle. 

Guthrie will be off the morning show for a couple of weeks as she films the upcoming debut season of Wordle, which is expected to premiere in 2027 and will air in prime time.

No news yet on who will be her fill-in. Entertainment Weekly has reached out to Today.

“I’m headed over to shoot Wordle over the next few weeks,” Guthrie said on Today Thursday, not disclosing the filming location. “We’re going to shoot the whole season, and we’re super excited. Cannot wait for everyone to see it.”

Wordle will feature teams of three avid players who will go head-to-head in solving puzzles for a cash prize. 

Jimmy Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog is executive-producing the game show alongside The New York Times, which owns Wordle. The Tonight Show host has been developing the show for over two years. 

When it came time to choose a host, Fallon said Guthrie was the full package.

“We were looking, we’re like, ‘Who’s the perfect host for this? We need to have someone that looks like they play Wordle, someone that knows how to run a show and host it.’ And we did the pilot, and you are amazing,” Fallon told Guthrie on Today in May.

Guthrie recently took a trip to Los Angeles to attend production meetings about the upcoming show, which stems from Wordle’s mobile game success following its debut in 2021 when it became a pandemic obsession for millions of players. The game, purchased by the Times in 2022, is now offered for free on the outlet’s Games app on iOS and Android, as well as mobile web and desktop.

Guthrie shared photos on her Instagram Stories in June of green and yellow hearts over a Wordle puzzle and wrote, “Coming soon.” She also posted a snap of a “SG” nameplate, seemingly from a conference room.

Guthrie will surely appreciate the hosting distraction as the search for her mother, Nancy Guthrie, continues. She returned to Today in April amid the search for her 84-year-old mom, who went missing from her home in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 1. The anchor recently released a statement to local news station KOLD after it was determined ransom notes related to the case were fake.

The newscaster reflected on the “five months of agony and unending trauma” since her mother vanished without a trace.

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“There is not a moment that goes by that we aren’t actively trying to find our mom,” she said. “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.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI urge those with information to contact them at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Today airs weekdays on NBC. Wordle premieres early next year. 

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly