‘Today’: Hoda Kotb Makes Emotional Return to Show Amid Savannah Guthrie’s Absence

Hoda Kotb returned to the Today show on Friday (February 6) to support her friend and former co-host, Savannah Guthrie, whose 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared on January 31.

“Well, first of all, I just want to say this whole thing is breaking my heart, and I’m happy to be sitting here with you,” Kotb said, per Variety, as she joined Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, and Carson Daly.

“I’ve been wandering around, going, ‘Where do we go?’ And I picture Savannah sitting there,” an emotional Kotb continued, pointing to the Today desk. “Anyway, I just want to say good morning, and everybody’s hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return.”

Kotb served as Guthrie’s Today co-anchor from 2018 to 2025. She retired last January after 26 years at NBC News. Melvin was later confirmed as her replacement.

“There’s been a massive show of support, from vigils to people offering positive thoughts online and just a lot of hope,” Kotb added, noting how “the nation’s rallying around our dear friend Savannah and her family, believing their beloved mom Nancy will be back soon in their loving arms.”

 

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Kotb said she feels “helpless” but was reminded of how Savannah was always there for her and her fellow co-hosts. “I’m looking at us and thinking, like, who was first in the hospital room when [my daughter] Hope was sick? Savannah,” she shared.

She said the same was true when Daly’s parents and Melvin’s brother passed, and Jones’ late husband, Uche Ojeh, was sick in the hospital.

“I mean, she was there,” Kotb stated. “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.”

Pima County authorities believe Nancy may have been abducted or kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night (January 31). When deputies arrived at the residence, they discovered what they described as “concerning evidence,” and they are treating the home as a potential crime scene.

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Police are also investigating an alleged ransom note received by TMZ, which offered to return Nancy in exchange for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. According to TMZ, the value of the Bitcoin demanded is in the “millions.”

Savannah is on a hiatus from the Today show amid her mother’s disappearance. She also dropped out of covering the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which airs later today.

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