How Long Will Savannah Guthrie Be Off Today Amidst ‘Unimaginable’ Family Circumstances? NBC Insiders Speak

It’s been a few weeks now since Nancy Guthrie (84) – the mother of Today Show co-host Savannah Guthrie (54) – was reported missing and, at present, authorities are still investigating. During this time, Savannah has been away from her post at the long-running morning show, having originally announced her intention to do so earlier this month. Questions remain in regard to exactly how long the TV journalist will continue to be off the air. Now, insiders are weighing in on the potential length of Savannah’s absence.

Sitting in for Savannah Guthrie has been Hoda Kotb, who retired from NBC’s flagship morning show in 2025 after nearly 18 years. Should a network source be believed, Kotb (or someone else) could be filling in for Guthrie for some time. That unnamed person alleged to Page Six that Guthrie will be away from the show for the "foreseeable future.” Amid Guthrie’s absence, many on staff have been seemingly showing love to her as well as her family and, per the source, that supportive vibe has permeated the whole workplace:

Hoda Kotb has been particularly vocal when it comes to her support of the Guthrie family. When Kotb returned to the program earlier this month, she candidly admitted that the situation was “breaking [her] heart” and later said that “everybody’s hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return.” On another occasion, Kotb – who bowed out of 2026 Winter Olympics coverage to cover Guthrie on Today – also said she was “happy” to fill in because as a work family, she and her colleagues all show up for each other.

Another source for Page Six claims employees at NBC “all pray constantly” that Nancy Guthrie will be located and returned safely to her family. As for how Savannah’s co-workers (who are allegedly experiencing a movie-like atmosphere at work) are navigating the situation, the insider also said this:

Savannah Guthrie joined Today in 2011 as a substitute host for Ann Curry and Meredith Vieira and, in July 2012, Guthrie became the permanent main co-anchor of the show. In the time that’s passed, Guthrie has arguably become a staple of the program, a fact that makes her recent absence even more notable. It’s been reported that Guthrie’s $7 million contract will soon be up for renewal though, given the circumstances, her colleagues allegedly believe any talk about that topic to be “hurtful” during this time.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen during the night of January 31 at her home in Catalina Foothills, Arizona, and local authorities launched an investigation after evidence reportedly showed she was taken against her will. As of this writing, however, no arrests have been made in the case. Savannah – who appeared in several social media videos in which she addressed the situation – posted another one Sunday, February 15, in which she attempted to appeal to “whoever has” her mom.

Of course, it’s incredibly difficult to say when there may be major updates when it comes to the search for Nancy Guthrie. So, at this point, it feels likely that Savannah won’t be returning to The Today Show for a while.