Savannah Guthrie, the longtime co-anchor of NBC’s flagship morning program “Today,” plans to return to her hosting duties at some point in the future, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation at the network. This comes amid her ongoing, deeply emotional, and all-consuming involvement in the search for her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since early February 2026 following what authorities believe was an abduction from her home near Tucson, Arizona.Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 after a family dinner, and she was reported missing on February 1. The case has gripped national attention for nearly four weeks (now entering its 27th day as of late February 2026), with developments including doorbell camera footage, thousands of hours of video reviewed by the FBI, over 1,500 new tips following a reward increase, unverified ransom-related reports, and active searches extending into Mexico with groups like the Searching Mothers of Sonora assisting. Savannah has been in Tucson supporting her family, issuing public pleas on social media (including amplifying the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI and announcing a $1 million family reward for information leading to her mother’s recovery, plus a $500,000 donation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children). In recent emotional videos, she has expressed the family’s agony over the uncertainty, even acknowledging the painful possibility that her mother “may already be gone,” while stressing the urgent need to bring Nancy home.
Savannah has been absent from the “Today” show since late January, leaving a void filled temporarily by returning former co-anchor Hoda Kotb and other fill-ins. Sources close to NBC emphasize that any return timeline is entirely up to Guthrie herself—no fixed date has been set, and the network is fully supportive of her taking whatever time she needs during this heartbreaking family crisis. One insider described the “Today” team as her extended family, ready to “welcome her back with open arms on her timeline.”The news of her intention to return has offered a glimmer of continuity for viewers and colleagues amid the uncertainty. For Guthrie, resuming work could eventually provide a sense of normalcy and routine after weeks of relentless worry, public appeals, and coordination with law enforcement. However, with the search still very much active—marked by fresh pleas from Savannah on February 27 for anyone with information to come forward—the priority clearly remains on finding her mother and resolving this devastating ordeal.The situation underscores the profound personal toll that high-profile family crises can take, even on seasoned broadcasters accustomed to handling tough stories. As updates continue to emerge in the Nancy Guthrie case, fans and the media alike are watching closely for any developments that might allow Savannah to step back into her role while carrying the weight of her family’s ongoing pain.
