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Savannah Guthrie will return to the anchor desk of the Today show on Monday, April 6, after a two-month hiatus following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. The announcement came on Friday, March 26, with co-anchor Hoda Kotb sharing the news on air. "We cannot wait to welcome her back with open arms here in Studio 1A," Craig Melvin added during the broadcast.
In the third part of her interview with Kotb, Guthrie opened up about the emotional challenge of returning to the show. "It's hard to imagine doing it because it's such a place of joy and lightness, and I can't come back and try to be something that I'm not," she said.
"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. And being there is joyful. And when it's not, I'll say so. I have been so grateful to have this family. I consider this my family, my greater family, and when times are hard, you want to be with your family. And I want to be with my family."
Guthrie acknowledged the uncertainty she feels about returning, saying, "I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I'll belong anymore, but I would like to try. I would like to try. I'm not gonna be the same, but maybe it's like that old poem, more beautiful in the broken places." Her absence began after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1.
During her time away, Guthrie returned to Studio 1A on March 5 to personally thank her colleagues and show gratitude for their support.
The Guthrie family has continued to advocate for Nancy's safe return through social media and public statements. A reward of up to $1 million is being offered for information leading to her recovery, in addition to the FBI's $100,000 reward.
A special Dateline episode highlighting Nancy Guthrie's case is set to air Friday, March 27, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, further keeping the story in the public eye.
