Where Is Savannah Guthrie? ‘Today’ Show Anchor Returns After Brief Absence as Search for Mother Continues

New York — Savannah Guthrie is back at the “Today” show desk.

The longtime NBC co-anchor returned to the broadcast on Tuesday, October 13, after missing two consecutive episodes, according to an on-air update from her colleague Craig Melvin. Guthrie was last seen on the show Thursday, October 8, and her absence prompted widespread speculation among viewers who have closely tracked her schedule since her mother’s disappearance earlier this year.

Where Has Savannah Guthrie Been?

Melvin, who anchored Monday’s episode alongside weekend co-anchor Laura Jarrett, did not provide a specific reason for Guthrie’s brief absence when announcing her return. Representatives for the “Today” show did not respond to requests for comment.

The 54-year-old anchor’s whereabouts have been a subject of heightened public interest since February 1, when her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home. Authorities believe Nancy was taken against her will, and the investigation remains ongoing more than eight months later.

Why Savannah Guthrie’s Schedule Has Changed

Guthrie’s recent two-day absence is the latest in a series of schedule adjustments she has made since her mother’s disappearance.

She took a two-month leave of absence immediately after Nancy went missing, returning to the air on April 6 with the words, “It is good to be home.” In the months since, she has taken a two-week break in September, missed back-to-back episodes in July, and quietly stopped working Fridays, though sources indicated the change is “not permanent.”

Guthrie has spoken openly about the emotional toll of returning to work while her mother remains missing.

“It’s really hard to come back. I’ve been trying so hard to hold it together,” she said during an emotional conversation with Jenna Bush Hager in June. “I cry every morning on the way to work, and I cry every morning on the way home.”

She explained that the job provides “a little respite” and that her colleagues have become like family during the ordeal.

“I don’t think if I had any other kind of job, I would have even tried to come back,” she said. “And my mom would have said the same, like, ‘Honey, just keep going, just keep going.’ And so I am.”

What’s Next for Savannah Guthrie?

Guthrie’s return to the anchor desk comes just days before the “Today” show is scheduled to broadcast live from Ireland on October 16. The trip holds personal significance for Guthrie, whose mother’s family has Irish roots in County Galway—a connection she has spoken about in recent weeks.

Whether Guthrie will personally join the Ireland broadcast has not been confirmed, though her participation in the on-air announcement alongside her colleagues suggests she remains closely involved with the show’s planning.

For now, Guthrie is back where she has said she feels a sense of purpose: at the “Today” show desk, navigating grief and joy in equal measure.

“I want to smile, and when I do, it will be real,” she told Hoda Kotb earlier this year. “My joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer.”