00:00This week, Savannah Guthrie returned to the Today Show after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing on February 1st.
00:06It's been a harrowing two months, but staffers at the Today Show were actually given explicit instructions for Savannah's return.
00:13With more as our senior reporter, Mara Sigler, what was the Today Show staff told?
00:18So it was the correspondence. So these are not, so Craig Melvin welcomed Savannah back.
00:23It was really quick. It was like, welcome back. And Savannah was like, ready or not, let's do the news.
00:28Jenna Bush Hagar welcomed her back. Al Roker welcomed her back at different points in the show.
00:34But the correspondents who came on were explicitly told not to mention her mother or welcome her back.
00:42Now, there is a practical reason for that. You know, you can't keep stopping these segments.
00:47Savannah would then have to respond. They wanted to, what my source says, is, you know, Savannah's back.
00:53They had done the interviews with her before. Now she's back at work. It means it's back to business as
00:57normal.
00:58They're just trying to move forward at this point. It's been a really hard year.
01:01Yeah, it's both just a practicality thing. It's live TV. You've got to keep the show flowing along.
01:07And also, it's, you know, a professional thing. We don't need to constantly bring up someone's family tragedy on air.
01:12Exactly. It's, you know, behind the scenes, we did get some quotes for people. It was emotional.
01:19Okay, so another source told us, there were lots of hugs. Coming back to a routine brings a sense of
01:24normalcy.
01:25She's prepared to go back to Arizona if there are any major developments in the case or whenever she's needed.
01:31We also spoke to another source who told us,
01:35Savannah is the heart of the show and the steady hand that guides everyone in the right direction.
01:39The staff and crew, we all needed her back. It was emotional for everyone.
01:43Her sadness and pain are not gone, but her bravery and strength aren't either, and her faith is unmatched.
01:48Just as she needed to come home for her children and husband, she also needed to come home to her
01:53Today family.
01:54So there was also a portion where they went out on the Today Show Plaza, and you can see there
02:00were photos that Page Six got of her hugging Jenna Bush Hagar for a while.
02:05Then she was getting very emotional. There were fans outside on T-shirts holding signs just saying, welcome back.
02:12We love you, Savannah. We heart you, Savannah. I mean, it was obviously a very emotional return.
02:17We've been following the story, and at first, there seemed to be possibly some leads,
02:21and it really feels like the case has dried up in Arizona, and it was time for Savannah to get
02:26back to work and get back to New York.
02:28Her family, she has two kids, she has a husband, and she has a full-time job.
02:32I mean, it's just incomprehensible, the level of tragedy, and I think people, though, are really glad to have her
02:39back
02:39and hope to give her that sense of normalcy as much as possible.
02:45You know, the word anchor is thrown around a lot, but Savannah Guthrie really is the anchor to the Today
02:51Show.
02:51She feels like the emotional grounding, and seeing her back wearing yellow, which is a color of sympathy and compassion,
03:00and Craig Melvin was also wearing a yellow tie. I was very moved by that.
03:03Just a subtle nod to just the heartbreaking journey that her family is going through right now.
03:10And, you know, but it's back to work, and as soon as anything changes in the case, you know Savannah
03:15will be right back in Arizona.
03:18Absolutely. Her fans are so excited to see her back. Everyone's excited to see her back.
03:22And yes, I'm sure if anything happens, she'll be right wherever she needs to be.
03:26Yeah, and Hoda Kotb had left the show in early 2025 and was filling in for her friend, you know,
03:31and so I think it gave viewers a little bit of a sense of familiarity, normalcy, you know, during that
03:37tough time,
03:38and it was, I think, also a gesture to her friend.
03:40Yeah, the show has been incredibly supportive of her.
03:43You know, they have had her on when she's needed to.
03:46She had gone in and visited them before.
03:49I think the level of support there has been really incredible.
03:53Great. Well, for more on this developing story and everything about the Today Show, go to page6.com.
03:58Thanks, Mara.
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