Hoda Kotb returned to “Today” on Friday and voiced support for former co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing since January 31st.
Kotb, who served as Guthrie’s Today co-anchor from 2018 to 2025, joined Craig Melvin, Shainelle Jones and Carson Daly in a touching segment about the outpouring of support for the Guthrie family.
“First of all, I want to say that all of this breaks my heart, but I’m glad to be able to sit here with you,” Kotb began. “It’s family!” Jones interjected.
“I was wandering around thinking, ‘Where do I go?’ And I picture Savannah sitting there,” a visibly emotional Kotb added, gesturing toward the Today desk.
“Anyway, I just want to say good morning. Everyone is hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return,” Kotb said. “From vigils to people offering positive thoughts and lots of hope online, there has been a huge show of support. The nation has rallied behind our dear friend Savannah and her family, and we are confident that our beloved mother Nancy will soon be back in our loving arms.”
After the segment, Kotub revealed that he felt “helpless” about the situation and reflected on how Guthrie helped his co-host when he was in trouble.
“I mean, we’re all very close to her, so we all want to help her,” she said. “You look at us and think: Who was in the hospital room first when (daughter) Hope got sick? Savannah. Who jumped on the plane when (Daly’s) parents (died)? Savannah. Sitting beside (Jones’ late husband) Uche Ojeh? What about when (Melvin’s) brother died? I was thinking about it this morning. They say love is patient, and love is kind, and that’s all we can do.
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance from her Arizona home was first reported on February 1st. Two days later, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters that police were treating the incident as a crime because they found “some very disturbing items in the home.”
“I think I said her mobility is very limited. We know she didn’t just walk out of there, we know that,” Nanos said. “There are other things at the scene… that indicate she did not leave on her own. We know that.”
On Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie posted a video on Instagram of her and her siblings pleading with their mother’s kidnappers.
“She is 84 years old. Her health and heart are fragile. She lives in constant pain. She has no medicine. She needs medicine to survive and she needs medicine to not suffer,” Guthrie said. “We too have heard reports in the media about the ransom letter. We are doing everything we can as a family. We are ready to speak. But we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a shadow of a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and are ready to hear it.”
The FBI, which is jointly investigating the disappearance with the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, announced on February 5 that it is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s “recovery or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance.”
“The FBI has agents, analysts and specialized staff working day and night with our partners in the Sheriff’s Office,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Heiss Janke said at a press conference. “We have deployed additional operatives and agents from our Phoenix office.”
Nanos also provided a timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance during the press conference, stating that the doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. MST on Sunday, February 1st. The system then detected movement at 2:12 a.m., but no video footage is available.
At the time, Nanos said police had “not identified any suspects or persons of interest in this case.”
He added: “We are doing everything in our power to do that. To be clear, we do not have any persons of interest or any suspects that we would consider to be prime suspects.”
