The morning show anchor previously revealed that she had vocal nodules and a polyp.

Savannah Guthrie debuts her ‘new voice’ one month after vocal cord surgery, announces her Today comeback

The morning show anchor previously revealed that she had vocal nodules and a polyp.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 20, 2026 12:45 p.m. ET

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Savannah Guthrie on 'Today'. Credit:

Nathan Congleton/NBC

Savannah Guthrie is gearing up for her *Today* return, one month after undergoing vocal cord surgery.

On Tuesday, the longtime morning show anchor reunited with fellow co-hosts Craig Melvin, Jenna Bush Hager, Al Roker, Carson Daly and Sheinelle Jones for a quick virtual chat. When Guthrie, 54, first appears on the screen, she's holding a dry-erase board and greets her co-workers by writing, "Love you."

Then, Guthrie surprised the audience by turning to the camera to say, "You know what? I think it’d be easier for me to just talk."

Late last year, Guthrie delivered the bittersweet news that she would be stepping away from *Today *to undergo surgery on her vocal cords, which would require her to remain totally silent for a few weeks during recovery. But that period is now nearing its end.

"I am still on vocal rest, but I’m allowed to talk for five to 10 minutes every hour," Guthrie explained during the Tuesday segment. The *Today* star could barely get through her words, however, as she was interrupted by the excitement of the other anchors.

Savannah Guthrie debuts her new voice on 'Today'.

"Savannah sounds good," gushed Jones.

Guthrie joked, "This is my new voice, or my old voice but my new voice.”

"Sounds the same," Roker remarked, while Melvin disagreed, telling Guthrie, "No, you sound markedly better!”

"I think the good news is that it worked," Guthrie replied. “And Sheinelle knows, she went through this and had this surgery, it’s kind of slow recovery. You’re allowed to talk and if you talk too much — which is a real risk for me — you start to feel it, so you just have to take it easy."

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Daly then jokingly asked Guthrie if she's already taken her new voice for a "test drive" to yell at kids, Vale, 11, and Charley, 9, whom she shares with husband Michael Feldman.

"Actually, yes," Guthrie quipped with a smile. "A long weekend will bring that out, especially when Mike had to travel. It finally got there."

Also in the brief conversation, Guthrie confirmed that her official *Today* return is set for Monday, Jan. 26. But in the meantime, she will appear on the show on Friday, Jan. 23 for a story about her journey through the vocal cord surgery.

Savannah Guthrie on Thursday, April 3, 2025.

Nathan Congleton/NBC

Guthrie ended her *Today* appearance by showing off some of the "funny gifts" that she's received during her time off. Among them was a mug that read, "Sorry, I can’t talk right now. I’m on vocal rest" and another, with the words, "Don’t make me use my Mahjong voice."

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Guthrie first announced her surgery plans on Dec. 19, which marked her last *Today* appearance before going on medical leave. She explained that the procedure was meant to combat the nodules and polyps in her vocal cords that had been altering her voice.

At the time, she joked that some viewers probably noticed the change and thought she had "the world's longest head cold," but noted that she was "really excited" to finally diagnose the problem and set a clear path forward. A few weeks later, Guthrie assured fans that she was "all good" and on the mend after her procedure.

Watch Guthrie's brief *Today* return above.

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