Savannah Guthrie Returns to Today Show After Mother’s Disappearance
US television host Savannah Guthrie made her return to NBC’s Today show on Monday, marking her first appearance since her mother’s disappearance. The moment was filled with emotion as she greeted the audience with a familiar line, “Here we go, ready or not,” followed by, “Let’s do the news.” This marked the start of a new chapter for the show, as Guthrie had not anchored the news desk in over two months.
The absence was due to the ongoing search for her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing on February 1. Despite an extensive search involving thousands of federal and local officers and volunteers, there has been no sign of the mother of three, who authorities believe was taken against her will from her Arizona home.
On her first show back, Guthrie went through a series of news headlines, concluding with, “It’s good to be home.” Her co-host, Craig Melvin, responded, “It’s good to have you back at home.” This heartfelt moment highlighted the emotional journey that Guthrie has been through during this time.
Guthrie is one of the most recognizable faces in US morning television, having been a Today host since 2012. On her return, she wore a yellow dress, a nod to the yellow flowers left outside her mother’s home, while her co-hosts donned yellow ribbons on their lapels. This subtle gesture reflected the support and solidarity from her colleagues and fans.
Although NBC’s Today show has closely followed the story of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance over the past two months, it was not mentioned during the first hour of the show on Monday. However, in the last half hour, Guthrie greeted fans gathered outside the Rockefeller Center, fighting back tears when one fan was seen with a “Welcome home Savannah” shirt.
FBI Investigation Ongoing
Authorities believe that Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted, or otherwise taken against her will after finding blood near the doorstep of her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Arizona. Her family members were cleared as possible suspects, as Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated that “all siblings and spouses” had been cooperative with authorities.
The FBI released surveillance videos showing a masked man on Nancy Guthrie’s porch, and later confirmed that it had recovered DNA from a glove found near the home, but failed to return a match. Volunteers and search teams scoured the nearby desert terrain in the first weeks after she vanished, as the Guthrie family offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of their mother.
In recent weeks, investigators have not released new evidence and say the number of tips has slowed. Despite this, the search continues, with the hope that more information will surface to help find Nancy Guthrie.
Easter Message
As part of a video message released by Savannah Guthrie’s New York church on Easter Sunday, she spoke about feeling “moments of deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment.” However, she continued to say the resurrection is not fully celebrated “if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain, and, yes, death.”
In announcing her return to NBC’s flagship morning show, she said she was uncertain whether she would feel like she still belonged. “It’s hard to imagine doing it because it’s such a place of joy and lightness,” she said just over a week ago on Today during her first interview since the disappearance.
“I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back because it’s my family.”
