Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and More Hosts Absent From ‘Today,’ Get Early Start on the Weekend

Celebrities are just like Us — always ready for the weekend.

“Sheinelle [Jones] and Jacob [Soboroff] are here. Hoda [Kotb] and Craig [Melvin] are getting a little jump on the weekend,” Savannah Guthrie announced at the top of Today’s Friday, May 3, episode. Also missing from the first two hours of the NBC morning show were Carson Daly and Al Roker, whose “Popstart” and weather segments were done by Soboroff, 41, and Dylan Dreyer.

Dreyer, 42, was not in New York City for Friday’s episode as she traveled to Kentucky with NBC’s Mike Tirico to cover the 2024 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4. (Soboroff and Jill Martin joined Jones, 46, for the third hour of Today.)

Several of the missing Today hosts gave fans a glimpse at how they got a head start on their early weekend via social media. Kotb, for her part, followed up the Thursday, May 2, episode of Today by rocking out at a Rolling Stones concert with friends.

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“Happening now!” she captioned an Instagram video of the legendary band performing their hit song “Start Me Up” at Jazz Fest 2024 in New Orleans. In addition to posting a selfie with her gal pals, Kotb also shared pics and clips of Mick Jagger singing “Time Is on My Side” with Irma Thomas Nola.

“In 1964 Mick Jagger was listening to the radio and he heard a song called ‘time is on my side’ he said I love that song … who wrote it? who is singing it? that person was the queen of New Orleans music … Irma Thomas,” Kotb captioned a pic of the pair on stage. “So today Irma Thomas and Mick Jagger held hands and sang it again ??.”

Roker, 69, encouraged his Instagram followers on Thursday to “get those steps in” before making it to Friday. “Let me tell you, this morning, I did not feel like getting on a treadmill. Had to have a little chat with myself, and I said, ‘C’mon, dude. Let’s do it,’” he stated in the clip of his workout. “And now, 20 minutes later, got stuff done, ready to get the day started. How about you?”

Though Melvin, 44, didn’t share his weekend plans via social media, he revealed he will be traveling to New Jersey for a stop on his children’s book tour on Monday, May 6. “I would love to see you there,” he said in a Thursday Instagram video. (Melvin’s new picture book, I'm Proud of You, hits shelves on Tuesday, May 7.)

Daly, 50, has been absent from Today since Thursday. One day prior, he sat down for a one-on-one interview with golf legend Tiger Woods, during which he recalled seeing the athlete practice when they were teens competing at a golf tournament.

“It was so hot. [None] of the teenagers wanted to go out. We’re all just having lunch and you were the only one on the driving range and you were hitting balls. You were the only one,” Daly recalled. “And your dad was out there, and we were all looking around going, ‘Can you believe this kid? That kid’s crazy.’”