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Savannah Guthrie is set to return to the TODAY show following a vocal cord surgery late last year. During a video call on January 20, she connected with her co-hosts Craig Melvin, Jenna Bush Hager, Al Roker, Carson Daly, and Sheinelle Jones to update her exciting details. “This is my new voice!” she stated, marking a major step in her recovery journey.

In the call, Guthrie revealed she would make a brief appearance on the program on January 23 to talk about her health experience, before formally rejoining the anchor desk on January 26. Her surgery had been primarily announced in late December, at which time she informed viewers that she would need many weeks off for recovery, which includes a period of entire vocal rest.

Social Media Updates During Recovery

By early January, Guthrie offered her followers an update on Instagram, mentioning through a whiteboard that read, “all good” following her procedure. She showed her appreciation for the support she received, citing, “Thanks for prayers and love.” Throughout her recovery, she remained using the whiteboard to communicate with her children.

During the January 20 video chat, Guthrie cited that while she is still on vocal rest, she is allowed to speak for five to ten minutes each hour. “I think the good news is that it worked,” she mentioned about the surgery. She stated that the recovery process is gradual and highlighted the importance of moderation in using her voice. “If you talk too much, which is a real risk for me, you feel it,” she cited.

Savannah Guthrie Appearance in TODAY Show

After a significant recovery period, Guthrie officially returned to Studio 1A on January 23. The 54-year-old co-anchor shared updates of her health journey and the outcomes of her procedure, marking her first appearance on TODAY since starting her medical leave.

Mirroring her career, she stated, “Back in 2008, my first year working for NBC News, I not only looked different, I sounded different, too. Over the years, I noticed as my voice got deeper and scratchier.”

She further said, “But what I thought was just normal wear and tear and aging over time got much more noticeable, and this past year, much worse. Sometimes, it was hard to get through a sentence. No longer able to just ignore it, I went to see Dr. Peak Woo, one of the country’s leading voice specialists.”

Guthrie cited, “It was hard at first, like, you had to get the hang of silence and solitude. And being alone with yourself actually can be kind of terrifying. But I found it to be a beautiful, beautiful moment and a spiritual moment, and I’m so grateful.” She added, “I’m grateful to all of you and this place and my bosses at NBC who have been nothing but supportive… And I’m just so grateful to be back, and I’m ready to go!”

She later humorously said, “The doctor did say, ‘Just don’t be in situations where people are loud and talking over each other.’ And I was like, ‘Have you seen the Today show?’”

Official Return Date

Savannah Guthrie will officially return to her full-time hosting role on TODAY on Monday, January 26

FAQs:

Q1. Who is Savannah Guthrie?
Savannah Guthrie is a co-anchor on NBC’s TODAY show. She has been a popular television journalist for many years.

Q2. Why was she absent from the show?
She underwent vocal cord surgery in late 2025. This needed several weeks of recovery and vocal rest.