When Will Savannah Guthrie Return to 'Today'? NBC Insider Lays Out Latest

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, has drawn headlines across the nation and an outpouring of support from viewers as police continue their weeks-long search. Guthrie's focus understandably remains on finding her mother, and she is not scheduled to return to the airwaves for the foreseeable future. But the show has played an important role in coverage of the case, and new reporting from Variety indicates how NBC expects to handle her eventual return to the show.

“This situation is tragically unprecedented, and I think it’s really hard to compare anything else to what Savannah and her family are dealing with right now,” Katie Couric, former Today co-anchor, said in an interview. “I do think morning shows are living, breathing organisms, and when something happens to a member of these very close-knit teams, it is devastating, I think, to everyone. I think the Today Show team is doing the best they possibly can, and it must be excruciating to try to carry on, but also to cover a story about a beloved colleague.”

Who Is Currently Hosting Today?

In Guthrie's absence, former host Hoda Kotb has returned on an interim basis, filling Guthrie's seat alongside permanent co-host Craig Melvin.

“They are fortunate that Hoda, who is a familiar and beloved face, is able to step in so seamlessly under very difficult circumstances,” Couric said. “I think they are trying to handle it as well as they possibly can.”

Kotb previously co-anchored Today alongside Guthrie from late 2017 through 2024, when she stepped back from the role. She has continued to contribute to NBC.

When Will Savannah Guthrie Return to Today?

There is no set timeline for Guthrie's return, but Variety's report indicates that NBC executives expect she will come back eventually.

"Kotb will stay while Guthrie is with her family, according to a person familiar with the matter," Variety reported. "Guthrie is expected to return to the show on her own timeline, even if she requires a significant period to feel ready to do so, this person says."

How Is Today Navigating Guthrie's Absence?

Today has covered Nancy Guthrie's disappearance daily since news first broke in early February. The case has often led the show's news report, although less so as the weeks have gone by. As Variety notes, NBC's Liz Kreutz continues to cover the story on the ground in Arizona, where Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home outside Tuscon.

Latest on the Case

Savannah Guthrie recently announced a larger, $1 million reward for any information leading authorities to Nancy Guthrie. The missing woman's house, authorities announced, will be returned to her family after weeks of intensive searches for evidence. It's the last place she was seen before she was abducted.

In her recent video, Guthrie expressed hope that her mother could miraculously still be found alive. But she also hinted at the possibility that she "may be lost."

"If this is what is to be, then we will accept it, but we need to know where she is," Guthrie said. "We need her to come home."