Savannah Guthrie returned to the “Today” show studios on Thursday, March 5, 2026, for the first time since her mother’s disappearance more than a month ago, embracing colleagues and crew in an emotional off-camera visit as the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie stretches into its second month with no breakthrough in sight.
The longtime “Today” co-anchor did not appear on air during her visit to NBC’s Rockefeller Plaza headquarters, but video obtained by TMZ showed her hugging staff and crew through the iconic windows of Studio 1A before acknowledging well-wishers and getting into a waiting SUV.
“Savannah Guthrie stopped by the studio this morning to be with and thank her Today colleagues,” an NBC spokesperson said. “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.”
NBC confirmed the visit but provided no timeline for when Guthrie, who has co-anchored “Today” since July 2012, will return to her on-air duties.
During Thursday’s broadcast, Guthrie’s colleagues Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones discussed the visit through tears, describing how she “hugged every single person” in the room. Bush Hager said Guthrie told the staff she intends to return to the show—”even though it feels like the hardest thing to do, it’s also her home and where she feels so loved.”
Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:45 p.m. on January 31 when her son-in-law dropped her at her Catalina Foothills home near Tucson after a family dinner. She was reported missing February 1 after she failed to appear for a virtual church service. Authorities have treated the case as a likely abduction from the start, finding conditions inside the home “very concerning” and her blood on the front porch.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that Nancy Guthrie was likely taken “possibly in the middle of the night.” Despite 33 days of intensive investigation by the FBI and local law enforcement, no suspect has been publicly identified.
Surveillance footage recovered from Nancy’s Nest doorbell camera shows a masked, gloved, and armed man approaching her front door and tampering with the camera around 1:47 a.m. on February 1. The FBI described the suspect as male, approximately 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 with an average build, carrying a black Ozark Trail backpack sold exclusively at Walmart. Despite reviewing thousands of hours of video and executing multiple search warrants, investigators have made no arrest.
A glove found about two miles from the home initially appeared promising—it resembled those worn by the suspect—but DNA analysis traced it to a local restaurant worker with no connection to the case, a dead end for what had been one of the investigation’s most hopeful leads.
The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery, supplementing the FBI’s $100,000 reward. Multiple ransom notes of questionable authenticity have been sent to Arizona television stations and TMZ, though authorities have not confirmed any came from actual kidnappers.
Savannah stepped back from her co-anchor role immediately after her mother was reported missing, including withdrawing from planned coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Former “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb returned to fill in alongside Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones.
The 54-year-old television host has recorded a series of wrenching video appeals for information about her mother. In her February 24 video announcing the $1 million reward, Guthrie acknowledged the grim reality facing her family: “We still believe in a miracle. We still believe that she can come home. We also know that she may be lost. She may already be gone.”
On Monday, March 3, Savannah, her sister Annie, and brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni made their first visit to Nancy’s home since the disappearance, laying yellow flowers at a growing tribute near the mailbox. The memorial includes handwritten notes, crosses, and even an open letter addressed to the kidnapper.
Sheriff Nanos provided an update that same day, expressing cautious optimism despite the lack of public breakthroughs. “I think investigators are definitely closer,” Nanos said. “We’ve got a lot of intel, a lot of leads, but now it’s time to just go to work.”
Jones offered her support during Thursday’s broadcast: “Whenever she is ready, we are here.”
The “Today” show has become a second home for Guthrie over her nearly 14 years as co-anchor. Her colleagues have rallied around her throughout the crisis, with staff wearing yellow ribbon pins as symbols of hope for Nancy’s safe return.
Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or 520-351-4900.