Why Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb Were Absent From 'Today' Again

The hosts weren't on air on March 20.

Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were absent from the Today show on Monday, March 20.

Sheinelle Jones and Craig Melvin filled in for them, and Willie Geist took Kotb's place on 4th Hour with Hoda and Jenna. Fans were concerned about their absence, taking to social media to ask for details.

During the show, Jones and Melvin shared that Guthrie is currently "on assignment," but did not offer additional details about what she was working on. They also mentioned Kotb was "off" for the day, without elaborating further.

In late February, Guthrie had to leave Today in the midst of a live broadcast after testing positive for COVID. She was then absent again following the 2023 Oscars, because she was given the day off after attending the awards ceremony and afterparty.

Kotb was also recently away from Today due to a family emergency. The co-host was out for nearly two weeks, which she later revealed was because her 3-year-old daughter Hope was hospitalized.

When Kotb returned to the show, she shared that Hope was back home, but being watched "closely." She did not disclose what kind of illness the toddler had.

"When your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have for people who helped you out,” she tearfully said during the show upon her return. “I'm grateful to the doctors and nurses, I'm grateful to my family and I'm grateful to friends like you [Savannah Guthrie] who were there every single day. I love you."

Hopefully, Kotb is merely taking a well-deserved day off and Hope is on the mend.