Savannah Guthrie to Return to 'Today' Show After Mother's Disappearance

The longtime co-anchor will resume her duties on April 6 after a two-month absence.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 3:04pm

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After a two-month absence sparked by her 84-year-old mother's apparent abduction, Savannah Guthrie will return to NBC's 'Today' show next month, saying in an interview that aired Friday 'joy will be my protest.' Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing on February 1, and the family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her recovery.

Why it matters

Guthrie's return to the 'Today' show will be closely watched, as her mother's disappearance has been a major source of public interest and concern. The case has also raised questions about the safety and security of public figures and their families.

The details

In the interview with her former co-host Hoda Kotb, Guthrie acknowledged that it will be difficult to return to a place of joy and lightness, but said she wants to try. '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,' Guthrie said. The FBI has released surveillance videos of a masked man who was outside Guthrie's mother's front door in Tucson on the night she vanished, and the family believes she was kidnapped for ransom.

  • Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing on February 1, 2026.
  • Savannah Guthrie will return to the 'Today' show on April 6, 2026.

The players

Savannah Guthrie

The longtime co-anchor of NBC's 'Today' show, who has been absent from the program for the past two months due to her mother's disappearance.

Nancy Guthrie

Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother, who was reported missing on February 1, 2026, and is believed to have been kidnapped or abducted.

Hoda Kotb

Savannah Guthrie's former co-host on the 'Today' show, who interviewed Guthrie about her return to the program.

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What they’re saying

“Joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer. And being there is joyful and when it's not, I'll say so.”

— Savannah Guthrie

“How can someone vanish without a trace? How? Someone knows something. Even if that something is someone's been acting strange for the last seven or eight weeks. Even if it's just that. Somebody knows. And maybe somebody's afraid and I understand that, but our hearts are in agony. We can't breathe. We can't live. We can't go on. We can't be in peace. We can't go forward. We have to know what happened to her.”

— Savannah Guthrie

What’s next

The FBI continues to investigate Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, and the Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her recovery.

The takeaway

Savannah Guthrie's return to the 'Today' show will be a bittersweet moment, as she grapples with the ongoing mystery of her mother's disappearance. Her commitment to finding joy and answers in the face of this tragedy is a testament to her resilience and the importance of family in times of crisis.