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Why Savannah Guthrie Left TODAY in the Middle of Broadcast (December 10)
The co-anchor was busy hosting an event alongside one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
The cast of TODAY is always in high demand, and sometimes, their outside commitments temporarily take them away from the iconic morning show!
Fans who tuned in late to the December 10 episode of TODAY surely noticed something different. Craig Melvin was sitting next to Hoda Kotb while Savannah Guthrie was nowhere to be found. Don't worry, Guthrie had a good reason for her absence, and she actually gave viewers a heads-up earlier in the broadcast.
"Somebody has to leave a little early," Kotb said to her co-anchor. "This is one of your favorite assignments you do every year."
"Yes, we're going to go to the Dole Foundation Heroes Gala tonight," Guthrie said. "It celebrates military caregivers, the people who care for our veterans, and heroes."
"Tom Hanks and I are doing our thing again tonight and we'll see you tomorrow morning on TODAY with all of it," Guthrie continued.
Guthrie is the official Chief National Hidden Heroes Ambassador and hosted the event alongside Hanks, who operates as chairman, once again in 2024. The organization's mission is simple: to strengthen and empower military and veteran caregivers, their families, and their communities by identifying and addressing their key challenges through innovative, practical, and sustainable solutions.
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It's an outstanding cause, to say the least. And true to her word, Guthrie presented a behind-the-scenes look at the event during the December 11 episode:
Guthrie has been heavily involved with the event dating back to 2018.
"Caregiving is a family affair," Guthrie said. "It's so important that we support those who are supporting our veterans — it's a way that we can help give service as well."
It's Christmas time — will Savannah Guthrie lose another tooth?
Will Guthrie escape 2024 with all her teeth intact? Fans are crossing their fingers! (Don't worry; there's a story behind this concern.)
During an especially memorable episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the longtime TODAY co-anchors regaled the host with a tale of what happened when Guthrie attended one of the infamous TODAY Christmas parties.
"When you're at the TODAY Show Christmas party, it starts at, like, 3 p.m., a lot of day drinking, I don't know," Guthrie explained. "Anyway, everyone left and it ended up being me, Sheinelle [Jones], Dylan [Dreyer] and Jenna [Bush Hager] — and Laura Jarrett, but she had to leave. The next thing I know, the morning I wake up, I'm like, I feel like something's missing."
A giddy Kotb couldn't help but interject.
"I was like, 'Where is it?' And I'm like, maybe it was at the Pebble Bar, because it was gone," Guthrie continued.
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The funniest part? Guthrie initially didn't do anything about her mysterious lost tooth — she claimed she waited "weeks" before seeing a dentist.
"Longer than weeks," Kotb corrected. "I was like, 'Go to the dentist!'"
To this day, Guthrie still doesn't know how a molar managed to fall out of her mouth during an evening of celebratory drinks with her colleagues, and it remains one of the funniest memories for the ladies of TODAY to bond over.
