Savannah Guthrie's Today Comeback: Inside Her Next Chapter
Savannah Guthrie is back on the Today show after a two-month hiatus amid her mother Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance — colleagues are thrilled, but the real test is how quickly she settles back into the anchor chair.
After two months away, Savannah Guthrie is back at the Today desk — and the vibe around 30 Rock is equal parts relief and reality check. This is a brutal, unusual situation for a morning show family to navigate, and everyone knows it.
Back at Studio 1A
Savannah, 54, officially returned to coanchor Today on Monday, April 6, sitting back down at Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center. On air, she greeted viewers and said it was good to be home. Craig Melvin welcomed her back, and across the building, colleagues were openly cheering her return. Jenna Bush Hager called Savannah the bravest for everything she has endured and said the team embraced her with open arms during the first show back on Today With Jenna & Sheinelle.
Supportive — and realistic
Behind the scenes, the NBC crew is thrilled she is back, but they are also taking this day by day. People on the broadcast team have been clear with each other: life is not snapping back to normal right away. They are building space for whatever each day brings, knowing some will be tougher than others, and they are prepared to adjust as they go.
Why she stepped away
Savannah started her hiatus after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing in Arizona on February 1, following what authorities have called an apparent kidnapping the night before. Nancy was last seen after dinner with Savannah’s sister, Annie Guthrie, and brother-in-law, Tomasso Cioni. Savannah immediately flew from New York to Arizona to be with her siblings — Annie and their brother, Camron — as the search escalated. The family has since offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery.
- Feb 1: Nancy Guthrie is reported missing in Arizona, a day after dinner with her daughter Annie and son-in-law Tomasso Cioni.
- Feb 10: The FBI releases door-camera photos and video of a masked man believed to be the assailant; no suspects are identified.
- April 6: Savannah returns to the Today anchor desk at Studio 1A.
How she is approaching work now
During her time away, Savannah spoke with former cohost Hoda Kotb (61), admitting she does not feel like the same person and that New York, her husband, and her kids are helping her hold steady as she eases back into work. She knows Today is a place of joy and lightness, and she is not going to fake it — but she is also not going to stay away from a job and a team that feel like family to her.
"My joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer."
Colleagues say her strength was obvious the moment she sat back down at the desk. The grief is still there, and will be, but they see her as the show’s guiding presence as everyone figures out this new normal together.
Where things stand
Two months in, there are still no named suspects in Nancy’s disappearance, despite the FBI’s released footage. Savannah and her siblings continue to issue public statements and pleas for help, with that $1 million reward still on the table.
For now, the plan at Today is simple: keep the chair warm, keep the support strong, and take it one morning at a time.