What To Know
- Savannah Guthrie has been absent from her Today co-anchor duties since February 2 due to her mother’s abduction.
- If Guthrie does not return, a possible replacement could be chosen by promoting from within.
- NBC sources reportedly expect Guthrie to return, but there is speculation about her future on the show and no confirmed timeline for her comeback.
Savannah Guthrie has been absent from her Today co-anchor duties since February 2, after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was abducted from her Tucson, Ariz., home. And many viewers have wondered: Who would replace Savannah if she didn’t return?
In the immediate aftermath of Nancy’s disappearance, Sheinelle Jones filled in for Savannah during the week of February 2 as she focused her attention on finding her 84-year-old mom. Hoda Kotb then returned to her former role on February 9 — and she’s set to continue co-anchoring for the week of February 23.
“Savannah is with her family and focused on bringing her mom home,” a source told People. “That’s the priority, and she has the network’s full support. Everyone’s just taking it day by day, and praying for Nancy’s safe return.”
If Savannah were to step back from her role on Today, one scenario could be to promote from within, as Reddit users recently discussed. It’s unclear whether Kotb would return as a full-time anchor, considering she left her role in January 2025 to spend more time with her children. Jones, meanwhile, just started her new gig as co-host of Today With Jenna & Sheinelle with Jenna Bush Hager. Another option might be, Laura Jarrett, who often fills in as a co-anchor on Today.
On February 20, NBC News inside sources reportedly told The Hollywood Reporter that they expect Savannah to eventually return to Today. However, a February 18 Status report claimed that “multiple TV veterans” speculated that it was doubtful that Savannah would return. As of writing, neither Savannah nor Today has commented on a potential timeline of her coming back to her co-hosting duties.
From 2007 to 2011, Savannah served as a White House correspondent for NBC News. She joined Today as a cohost of the show’s third hour in 2011. By 2012, she became a co-anchor alongside Matt Lauer until his firing in 2017.
Today, Weekdays, 7a/6c, NBC
