Savannah Guthrie's Today Show Absences Are Teasing Something Fun: 'It's Coming!'

Savannah Guthrie was absent from "Today" on June 17 and 18 — but it's not what you might think. Earlier this year, the co-host was out for two months when her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing. As the search for Nancy rages on, some fans were worried when they saw that Savannah wasn't filling her co-host chair. This time, though, what kept her away from work is actually exciting.

"It's coming!" co-host Sheinelle Jones said on the June 18 episode of "Today" regarding the big project that has Savannah out of office, per People. "Savannah starts production meetings on the Wordle game show coming to NBC," Craig Melvin added. Jones continued, "I'm excited for her" — and surely fans will agree. In May, Savannah announced this fun career victory amid her difficult year. During the on-air reveal, Savannah said, "It kind of feels strange to do everything right now, but this is something that's full of joy," per People. 

More than four months after Nancy's kidnapping, it's surely difficult for Savannah to focus on work. It's clear, though, that this project is making things feel just a little lighter for the host.

On June 17, Savannah Guthrie took to her Instagram Story to tease her upcoming gig. She shared a photo of a nameplate that read "Wordle" and "SG." She added green and yellow heart emojis to the pic, a nod to the color scheme of The New York Times' beloved puzzle game that serves as the basis for the forthcoming game show. The series, which is set to debut on NBC in 2027, has reportedly been in the works for quite a while.

During their announcement on "Today" in May, the titular "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" host joined Guthrie, as he is executive producing the new project. "We've been developing Wordle as a game show for the past two-and-a-half years with The New York Times, and it's official — we are making Wordle Game Show with our host, Savannah Guthrie!" he said, per People. Fallon was clearly proud to choose Guthrie as its host. "I'm so happy it's you," he told her. "We were looking, we're like, 'Who's the perfect host of this?' We need ... someone that knows how to run a show and host it and we did the pilot, and you are amazing, by the way." While Guthrie's new gig was reportedly in the works well before she found herself in the midst of a family tragedy, things are clearly coming to fruition right when she likely needs a serious dose of happiness and hope.