Peter Alexander Speaks Out on Savannah Guthrie’s Family Heartbreak Amid Today Exit
As he signed off Saturday Today for the last time, Peter Alexander turned an emotional goodbye into a show of support for Savannah Guthrie as the search for her missing mother continues.
Big weekend moment at NBC: Peter Alexander said goodbye to Saturday Today, and before he walked out, he sent a pointed, heartfelt message to Savannah Guthrie, who has been off the weekday show since February because her mom, Nancy, went missing in Arizona. Savannah now has a return date. The personal and the professional are all tangled up here, and the timeline is a little tight, so let me lay it out clearly.
Peter signs off, tips his hat to Savannah
Alexander, 49, wrapped his final Saturday Today on March 28 and kept it simple and sincere about leaving a place he has called home since joining NBC News in 2004.
'We are in the business of using words, but I got no words to describe what this place has meant to me. NBC is at my core, through and through. I love everybody here. I wish everyone continued success.'
He also made a point to mention Guthrie, 54, saying he had exchanged messages with her and is glad she is coming back soon.
'I had a chance to exchange messages with our friend Savannah, who I love so much. I'm thrilled that she's going to come back here, and we'll continue to pray for her.'
Alexander is leaving to spend more time with his wife and daughters. He posted a clip of the broadcast on Instagram; Savannah popped into the comments with, 'The pro of all pros. And what a heart. We love you Peter ❤️.'
Where things stand with Savannah and her mom
Savannah stepped away from Today in February, a few days after her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing in Arizona. Local police are still investigating nearly a month later. Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, have leaned hard on their faith while waiting for answers, and the family has voiced concern that Nancy may have been kidnapped. None of this is resolved yet.
What Savannah said about coming back
In a sit-down with Hoda Kotb, 61, that aired Friday, March 27, Savannah talked about why she plans to return — even while her family is still in the middle of this nightmare.
'When I look at the Today show, it's the answer to all of my dreams, actually better than my dreams. It's hard to imagine doing it because it's such a place of joy and lightness. I can't come back and try to be something that I'm not.'
She was clear she isn't pretending everything is fine, but she also isn't walking away from the job or the people she calls family.
'I can't not come back because it's my family. I think it's part of my purpose right now. I want to smile, and when I do, it will be real. And my joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer.'
Her faith, and the hardest part
Savannah described a moment of faith that has kept her going — even as the uncertainty eats at her.
'My faith is strong and resolute. I early on felt — and I heard for one of the very few times in my life — I did hear God speak to me. As I said to myself, 'I can handle anything, God. I can handle anything, I just can't handle not knowing. I have to know.' I heard a voice and it said, 'You do know where she is — she's with me.''
She acknowledged she doesn't know if her mom is still alive or has passed, but the not-knowing is brutal. Her plea was blunt:
'We need to know. Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. It is unbearable. And to think of what she went through. I wake up every night in the middle of the night. Every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable. She needs to come home now.'
Key dates and what happens next
- February: Savannah steps away from Today after her mom is reported missing in Arizona.
- Friday, March 27: Her interview with Hoda airs; she explains why she plans to return and how she's coping.
- Saturday, March 28: Peter Alexander signs off from Saturday Today and publicly sends love and support to Savannah.
- Monday, April 6: Savannah is scheduled to return to the NBC morning show.
It's a tough, very human story colliding with a show built on smiles and coffee chatter. Savannah says when she smiles again on air, it will be real — and that's probably the only way back that makes sense.