Hoda Kotb will remain in Savannah Guthrie’s Today seat for an extended period of time as the search for her mother, Nancy Guthrie, stretches into a grueling four weeks, sources tell Page Six.
Sources say that behind the scenes on the NBC morning show, bosses are not only dealing with the effects of Savannah’s absence, but also wild and damaging rumors about who could take her job.
Mr. Kotb, 61, left “Today” about a year ago, but returned to Studio 1A to take a break and rejoin his former colleagues shortly after Savannah’s life was brutally turned upside down.
“At this point, we are taking things week by week, day by day,” we are told.
“Hoda is a steadying presence and a calming presence for our staff.”
Nevertheless, Kotb has no plans to return full-time and join co-anchor Craig Melvin, who replaced her on the show, as she is focused on her lifestyle business, Joy 101, and her family.
No one could have predicted that one of NBC News’ most beloved stars would become part of America’s biggest news story. Savannah was forced to withdraw from hosting the Winter Olympics opening ceremony and covering the first week in Milan, and was also absent from her regular slot Tuesday night leading coverage of NBC’s “State of the Union.”
Hoda, like Craig, was scheduled to fly to Italy to cover the Olympics, but both remained in the U.S. at the Today studio.
NBC officials also said that while some officials have reported difficulty maintaining morale as they focus on covering stories about themselves during these turbulent times, the show’s staff is trying to “turn out the noise and focus on the job.”
“If anything, this incredibly heartbreaking situation has strengthened the strength of the Today family.
“Everyone from top to bottom is focused on supporting Savannah and her family and doing the best job possible because that’s what she does. She will be sorely missed by everyone,” the source said.
Savannah, 54, remains in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona, as she searches for her 84-year-old mother. Amid rumors about her future on the show, the popular star, whose multi-million dollar contract ends this year, has announced that she will be taking a break from the “Today” show for the time being.
“We hope this video brings some answers,” the source added, hours after Savannah released another heartbreaking video on Tuesday offering a reward of up to $1 million for help in bringing her mother back.
“Today” has always been the cornerstone of NBC News’ revenue, bringing in up to $508 million a year in advertising revenue for the network.
Currently, viewership has increased by 30% over the past few weeks. “Nightly News” (7.6 million viewers) and “Today” (3.4 million viewers) both posted significant increases compared to the same period last year.
The number of “Today” entries has increased by 26% from 2.69 million during the same period in 2025. Some of that is probably due to intense interest in the Nancy Guthrie case, but a lot of it is also due to the Olympics.
