Dedicated Today viewers can’t help but think something is going down behind-the-scenes of their favorite morning show. As Hoda Kotb remains noticeably missing from NBC’s programming, Savannah Guthrie left within the first hour of the Tuesday, February 28, show.
“Willie [Geist] joins us in for Savannah who had to leave a little early this morning,” Sheinelle Jones, who typically helms Today’s 3rd Hour, informed viewers at 7:41 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
The 51-year-old broadcaster was present at the top of the show, but Jones would go on to reveal why Guthrie stepped away. “By the way, it has been an interesting morning for us,” Jones said. “As we said, Savannah left early, she wasn’t feeling great, so she took a COVID test. It came back positive.”
Kotb, meanwhile, 58, hasn’t been featured since a pre-taped Presidents’ Day episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna, which aired on February 20, with Jenna Bush Hager.
After more than a week away from Today’s live shows, Guthrie simply told fans on Monday, February 27, that Kotb was “off today.”
Kotb — whose podcast “Making Space With Hoda Kotb” also hasn’t posted a new episode since February 20 — has since made waves for a series of cryptic Instagram posts.
“Choose hope,” a quote shared by Kotb on Monday read. She captioned the pic with two red heart emojis.
One day prior, she wished her followers a “happy Sunday,” with a message that read: “Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts.”
As fans take to her comments section to tell her they miss her, other viewers are asking for clarification from the morning show via Twitter.
“Wonder what’s going on with the @TODAYshow Hoda hasn’t been there, Savannah disappears and Willie joins in,” one person tweeted on Tuesday.
Another asked, “@TODAYshow Savannah left ‘a little early’ today, and Hoda has been MIA for over a week? 👀 do tell #todayshow peeps….”
A third fan wrote that Al Roker temporarily filled in for Guthrie before Geist arrived on Tuesday. “7:30 and Savannah had to ‘leave early’? Al sits in till Willie can get there,” the social media user tweeted. “Hoda has been mia with no explanation. Something’s happening at Today Show. 🤔🤔”
Kotb joined NBC News in 1998 and began working on Today in 2007. After years of working with Kathie Lee Gifford, she joined Guthrie for the first two hours of the show in 2017 following Matt Lauer’s termination. Guthrie, for her part, has been a coanchor of Today since 2012 after joining NBC in 2007.
Us Weekly has reached out to Today for comment.
