Savannah Guthrie Is Taking a Short Break From the Today Show — Here's Why

If you tune into Today in early 2026 and notice Savannah Guthrie is missing, no, she did not ghost the show. She is stepping away for a short, planned break to fix her voice and then she will be right back.

On the December 19, 2025 episode, Savannah told Craig Melvin, Al Roker, and Sheinelle Jones that she is having vocal cord surgery in the coming weeks. If you have heard her sounding extra scratchy lately, that was not your imagination. She said her voice has been cracking a bit 'like Peter Brady' and doctors found vocal nodules and a polyp. Her take: it is not a huge deal, but it does require surgery early in the new year and a brief absence while she heals. For anyone wondering if she has been battling the world’s longest head cold, she joked that she has not.

'I have to be silent for a couple of weeks, totally silent. Christmas coming early for my family.'

Vocal nodules and polyps are pretty common for people who use their voice a lot, and post-surgery recovery usually means strict voice rest. Sheinelle has actually been through the same procedure herself and told Savannah there is a silver lining: you get permission to slow down, the house gets quieter, and the kids step up.

• The announcement: December 19, 2025 on Today, on-air with Craig, Al, and Sheinelle
• The issue: vocal nodules plus a polyp causing that rough, cracky voice
• The plan: vocal cord surgery early in 2026, then doctor-ordered silence
• The timeline: off the show for a couple of weeks, covering the first stretch of the new year
• The return: after those first few weeks of 2026, once her voice is cleared

Bottom line: Savannah is stepping out for a quick repair job and should be back on Today not long after the calendar flips. Save the worried DMs.