Viewers tuned into the Today show on Monday, April 6, to see Savannah Guthrie make her heartfelt on-air return. Guthrie came back to the desk on Monday after taking some time away from the program to be with family amid her mother’s disappearance. The journalist has been spending time with her family after her mom, Nancy Guthrie went missing, The Mirror reports.
Savannah Guthrie started the morning show with a quick acknowledgment of her time away from Today. “We are so glad you started your week with us, and it is good to be home,” she said. Co-host Craig Melvin comforted her by saying, “Yes, it is good to have you back at home,” before Guthrie jumped into Today’s news with, “Well, here we go, ready or not, let’s do the news.”
NEW: Savannah Guthrie releases emotional Easter message amid the disappearance of her mother, says she still believes.
Guthrie says she has questioned if Jesus ever experienced the specific pain she feels regarding the disappearance of her mother.
“Perhaps this is too dark a… pic.twitter.com/45VbmgmjfS
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 6, 2026
Her return follows a major development in the case involving Nancy Guthrie, after reports indicated an individual fled the neighborhood just days after the alleged kidnapping.
Savannah, who is 54, had been away from her job on NBC’s morning show while her family dealt with her mother’s disappearance. Nancy Guthrie vanished on February 1, which was revealed during a brief news piece on Today, according to the Irish Star.
Prior to her Today show return, Savannah spent several weeks out in Tucson, Arizona helping in search efforts. She eventually moved back home to New York but continued focusing on being there for her family during this unresolved time.
NBC previously stated that Savannah Guthrie “intends to return” to the show before she made her return. The network said she wanted to get back to broadcasting, but was focused on finding her mother.
“Savannah Guthrie stopped by the studio this morning to be with and thank her Today teammates,” a statement from NBC read. “While she plans to return to the show on air, she remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home.”
Ahead of Savannah Guthrie’s return to television, she made a private visit to Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center so she could see her coworkers in person for the first time since her mother’s alleged abduction. Coworkers who were present said the reunion was incredibly emotional and Savannah thanked people on the team for their support.
“She came in here,” a source who was present said Savannah told her co-workers. “I want to come back. I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how not to come back. You guys are my family. And, I would like to try.”
🚨 BREAKING: Savannah Guthrie returned to the “Today” show, stepping out to a cheering crowd at Rockefeller Plaza while her mother remains missing. pic.twitter.com/Y3sqr4kEue
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 6, 2026
Retired NBC News anchor Hoda Kotb took to Instagram on Monday morning (April 6) to show her support, posting a photo of Savannah Guthrie with her children. “With you xoxo,” Kotb captioned the image, AOL reports.
Kotb, who stepped away from NBC News last January after a 26-year career, previously returned to the Today on February 6 to temporarily fill in for her longtime friend and former co-anchor. During her first appearance back, an emotional Kotb told co-hosts Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, and Carson Daly, “This whole thing is breaking my heart, and I’m happy to be sitting here with you. I’ve been wandering around, going, ‘Where do we go?’ And I picture Savannah sitting there… Anyway, I just want to say good morning, and everybody’s hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return.”
She also reflected on Guthrie’s support for others over the years, adding, “I was thinking this morning, you know, they say love is patient, love is kind. Like, we’ll be patient and put prayers up. And that’s all we can do.”
Guthrie had previously confirmed her return to Today during a sit-down interview with Kotb last month. Speaking candidly, she said, “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.”
Savannah Guthrie also shared, “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. 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.”
