Savannah Guthrie abruptly exits 'Today' broadcast; Hoda Kotb remains absent
"Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie abruptly exited the morning program mid-broadcast on Tuesday and tested positive for COVID-19.
Sheinelle Jones, who typically co-hosts the third hour of NBC's "Today" show, informed viewers Tuesday that Guthrie "left early" because she "wasn't feeling great" before receiving her COVID-19 test results. This marks Guthrie's third case of the respiratory illness.
"It has been an interesting morning for us," Jones said around 9 a.m., adding that Guthrie "rushed home to rest up" as soon as her COVID test came back.
"Savannah, we love you. Wishing you a speedy recovery."
Guthrie, who has received a COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot, previously tested positive for the virus in January 2022, and again in May 2022. The veteran newscaster did not return to the show Tuesday after 7:30 a.m.
Also absent from Tuesday's broadcast was Guthrie's "Today" co-anchor, Hoda Kotb, who hasn't appeared live on the show since Feb. 17, according to Newsweek. So far, Kotb's mysterious "Today" hiatus has gone unexplained, sparking a wave of confusion and concern among viewers.
Various NBC News correspondents — including Jones, Craig Melvin, Tom Llamas and Willie Geist — have been filling in for Kotb alongside Guthrie and "Today With Hoda & Jenna" co-host Jenna Bush Hager.
Additionally, no new episodes of Kotb's "Today" podcast "Making Space" — which typically come out on Mondays — have been released this week. The latest installment of "Making Space," featuring actor Rosie Perez, debuted on Feb. 20.
Amid her mysterious "Today" hiatus, Kotb has continued to post motivational quotes that fans have been striving to decipher on Instagram. Since Wednesday, the beloved newscaster has been sharing daily proverbs, such as, "One day you will see how brave you have been," "Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts," and, "Choose hope."
Underneath Kotb's recent Instagram posts, hundreds of loyal fans have expressed concern and support for the longtime NBC News correspondent, mother and vocal breast cancer survivor.
"Find it difficult to watch with you not being there," one person wrote.
Representatives for "Today" did not immediately respond Tuesday to the Los Angeles Times' requests for comment.
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