Savannah Guthrie and Sheinelle Jones absences lead to a special guest stepping up on Today

The Saturday Today anchor filled in for the veteran anchors


TODAY -- Pictured: Carson Daly, Sheinelle Jones and Savannah Guthrie on Monday, February 26, 2024 -- (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)© NBC
June 21, 2024

The Today Show saw a major shake up as both Savannah Guthrie and Sheinelle Jones were absent from their respective slots - leading a rare anchor to take the helm alongside Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin.

While typically Sheinelle or Dylan Dreyer might fill in for Savannah in her absence, this time Laura Jarrett filled the role. She would later rejoin Craig and Al on the 3rd Hour in Sheinelle's absence, promising to "keep it gravy today".

© NBC

Sheinelle with Savannah and Hoda

"They kind of changed our line up around a little bit", Al said, directing his attention to Craig "you originally - they wanted you to sit here but you can't do that", he said, pointing to where Laura sat.

"I've never sat to your right, it throws me off," Craig said, adding he was a "creature of habit," sticking to his usual seat on Al's left hand side.

© Screenshot Today

Laura joined the Today Show team

Laura promised that they were "not going to throw you off", despite the changes, as Dylan was also absent as she attended Royal Ascot in the United Kingdom. Throughout the show, the anchors deferred to her for live updates of what was going on across the pond.

Savannah was not available for her usual slot as she is taking some much-deserved time off, sharing to Instagram a photo of a glass of white wine which she captioned: "out of office". This comes after a busy stretch, including interviews with Kevin Costner and Roger Federer.

Typically, Laura co-anchors Saturday TODAY with Peter Alexander, although she steps in when the usual substitutes are unavailable. She and Ali Love joined Dylan Dreyer as replacement 3rd Hour anchors back in February for Presidents Day.

On Juneteenth, as Hoda was absent, Peter Alexander stepped in for the veteran anchor which had many fans believing she was celebrating the US holiday. However, she appeared later for Today with Hoda & Jenna two hours later alongside Jenna Bush Hager. 

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