Savannah Guthrie to Resume ‘Today’ Duties April 6 After Weekslong Absence Amid Mother’s Disappearance

Savannah Guthrie is set to return to “Today” on Monday, April 6, following a nearly two-month absence.

Her return comes as authorities continue investigating the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 1.

Officials believe she was kidnapped or otherwise taken against her will. The FBI has released surveillance footage showing a masked individual outside the home the night she vanished.

Speaking in a televised interview with colleague Hoda Kotb, Guthrie acknowledged the emotional difficulty of returning to a program known for its light tone while her family remains in crisis.

“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,” Guthrie said. “But I can’t not come back, because it’s my family.”

She added that returning to the show carries a deeper personal meaning as she navigates uncertainty.

“I think it’s part of my purpose right now. I want to smile, and when I do, it will be real,” she said. “My joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer.”

Kotb, who has filled in during Guthrie’s absence, confirmed the April 6 return date following the interview, describing the moment as emotional and expressing anticipation about welcoming her colleague back.

Guthrie also spoke candidly about the challenges ahead, saying she is unsure how she will feel stepping back into her role.

“I don’t know if I can do it. I don’t know if I’ll belong anymore, but I would like to try,” she said. “I’m not going to be the same.”

Earlier in the interview, Savannah Guthrie recounted the moment her family realized something was wrong, describing how her sister found their mother missing from her Tucson-area home.

Initially believing it may have been a medical emergency, Guthrie said, “The back doors were propped open, and that didn’t make any sense,” adding that the scene quickly raised alarm. She emphasized that her mother’s condition made it unlikely she had wandered off.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery, while the FBI is offering an additional $100,000 reward tied to information that could lead to an arrest and conviction. Authorities have described the individual seen in surveillance footage as a masked man of medium build.

The family has also urged the public to come forward with any possible information, emphasizing that “no detail is too small.”

Guthrie, who has co-anchored NBC’s flagship morning program since 2012, stepped away from her duties shortly after her mother’s disappearance and withdrew from coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Her upcoming return will mark her first in-studio appearance since late January.