Savannah Guthrie, the beloved co-host of NBC's flagship morning programme Today, has offered fans a reassuring update on her health following a planned surgical procedure on her vocal cords.
What prompted the surgery?
The 54-year-old broadcaster first revealed the news to viewers in December, explaining that a persistent issue with her voice had been diagnosed. Guthrie disclosed she had developed vocal nodules and a polyp, which required medical intervention. She light-heartedly compared her cracking voice to a famous scene from The Brady Bunch, involving character Peter Brady's voice breaking.
"Some of you have noticed that my voice has been very scratchy and started to crack a little bit like Peter Brady, who was going through a change," Guthrie said on air. "Well, I have found out what it is. I have vocal nodules, and now I also have a polyp."
She confirmed the issue was "not a big, big deal" but that she would undergo surgery very early in the new year and be absent from the show for a few weeks as a result.
A silent recovery and a positive update
A key part of Guthrie's recovery protocol involves complete vocal rest. She told her co-hosts she would not be able to speak at all for a couple of weeks following the operation, joking that "the jokes write themselves" and that it would be "Christmas coming early for my family."
On Monday, Guthrie broke her silence figuratively with a post on Instagram. She shared a photo of herself holding a dry-erase board with a handwritten message that read, "All good! Thanks for prayers and love!" She captioned the post simply, "See you soon!"
The television presenter, who shares two children, Vale (11) and Charley (8), with her husband Michael Feldman, expressed optimism about the procedure, stating it was something she had looked forward to after dealing with the problem for years.
An outpouring of support and the return date question
The comments section of Guthrie's update was swiftly filled with messages of support from colleagues and fans alike. Her former co-host Hoda Kotb wrote, "Feel better my girlxxxx," while Sheinelle Jones, who recently joined Jenna Bush Hager on the 10 a.m. hour of the show, responded with a string of red heart emojis.
While Guthrie's update was positive, a specific return date to the Today show studio has not yet been officially confirmed. The Independent has reached out to the programme for further information regarding her schedule. Her initial announcement indicated an absence of a "couple of weeks," suggesting a return could be imminent pending a smooth recovery.
