Dylan Dreyer’s absence from Today explained as Al Roker tells co-hosts ‘Everyone’s gone’

Dylan Dreyer was absent from Today‘s third hour on Tuesday, March 31, with her co-star, Craig Melvin, also missing from the news desk. Third-hour veteran Al Roker held down the fort alongside Laura Jarrett and Savannah Sellers, and took a moment to reassure viewers about his colleagues’ absence.

“Craig is on assignment, Dylan is off, so we got Laura Jarrett and Savannah Sellers here,” Al began, before breaking into laughter. “Why are you laughing?” Laura chimed in with a smile on her face, as Al replied: “Everybody’s gone!” 

“We’re keeping you company, we’re keeping you cozy,” she added, as he quipped: “I know! I’m actually kind of glad they’re gone…”

“Good for us!” Savannah laughed before launching into the first headline of the day. The rest of the usual Today show hosts were also absent on Tuesday, apart from Jenna Bush Hager, who welcomed Willie Geist as her co-star for Today with Jenna and Sheinelle in the fourth hour.

Meanwhile, Willie and Laura teamed up to co-anchor the first two hours of Today in the absence of Craig and his colleague Savannah Guthrie, who has been away from the desk since February.

The 54-year-old has been grappling with the disappearance of her elderly mother, Nancy Guthrie, after she went missing from her Arizona home on February 1. 

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Investigations by local authorities and the FBI have continued for two months now, with police sharing that they were following several leads, including doorbell camera footage of a masked man with a firearm dismantling the recording device late at night.

See the haunting footage below…

Hoda Kotb, a veteran Today star who left the show in January 2025 to focus on her young family, returned to fill Savannah’s seat in the wake of Nancy’s disappearance. Savannah will return to the Today desk on April 6.

Meanwhile, Dylan has been busy in her time off with her three sons, Calvin, eight, Oliver, six, and Russell, four, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Brian Fichera.

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She filed for divorce from the producer and cameraman in March after almost 14 years of marriage, and has been making major strides in her career despite her personal struggles. Dylan announced on March 27 that she would lead a new parenting podcast for Today called “The Parent Chat”, which launches on April 2.  

“You know her as Today‘s candid third-hour host,” the synopsis began. “But Dylan Dreyer is also a mom of three boys in New York City, trying to figure out the big stuff: how to raise kind, confident, resilient kids and keep her sanity along the way. And like every parent, sometimes she needs…HELP!”

“On ‘The Parent Chat’, Dylan calls in reinforcements – from parenting experts with big advice to fellow working moms that can help all parents feel less alone. Because parenting doesn’t come with a manual, but it can come with a group chat,” the synopsis concluded.