Savannah Guthrie will return as co-host of NBC's 'Today' show on 6 April, the network announced on Friday. The anchor has been on a leave of absence for nearly two months following the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, from her Arizona home.
In an emotional interview aired on the programme, Guthrie told co-anchor Hoda Kotb that the morning show is "part of my purpose" and that she considers her colleagues her family. She acknowledged the difficulty of returning while her family is in "agony" over the unresolved case, stating, "I want to smile, and when I do, it will be real, and my joy will be my protest."
An Agonising Search for Answers
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her ranch-style home just outside Tucson, Arizona, in the middle of the night. The case remains open, with no trace found of the elderly woman.
During the interview, a tearful Savannah Guthrie made a direct appeal to the public for information. "How can someone vanish without a trace? How? Someone knows something," she pleaded. "We can't breathe, we can't live, we can't go on... We have to know what happened to her."
A Purposeful Return to the 'Family'
Guthrie explained her decision to return to work, drawing on a metaphor of being "more beautiful in the broken places." She stated she is not sure she can resume her role but is determined to try, saying, "I can't come back and try to be something that I'm not, but I can't not come back because it's my family."
The announcement of her return was made by her 'Today' show colleagues immediately after the final segment of the interview about her mother's disappearance was broadcast.
Ongoing Investigation and Public Appeal
The case is being handled by authorities in Pima County, Arizona. No suspects have been named, and the investigation is ongoing. Guthrie's continued public statements highlight the family's desperation for any lead that could explain Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
The anchor's planned return suggests an attempt to find solace and purpose in her professional routine amid the personal crisis, while maintaining pressure for answers in the search for her mother.