NBC expects Savannah Guthrie to return to the “Today” show next week, as the search for her missing mother continues in Arizona.
Savannah, who lives in Manhattan, has been in Tucson since her mother’s disappearance.
The news comes a day after Savannah Guthrie offered “up to $1 million” for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since the early morning hours of February 1. She was last seen on January 31 at her Tucson area home.
FBI agents, who joined local authorities in the massive search for Nancy, have pulled out of Arizona.
Reporters are also leaving Tucson after 26 days of wall-to-wall news coverage.
“This situation is tragically unprecedented, and I think it’s really hard to compare anything else to what Savannah and her family are dealing with right now,” said former NBC anchor Katie Couric during a recent interview. “I do think morning shows are living, breathing organisms, and when something happens to a member of these very close-knit teams, it is devastating, I think, to everyone. I think the ‘Today Show’ team is doing the best they possibly can, and it must be excruciating to try to carry on, but also to cover a story about a beloved colleague.”
Hoda Kotb, the veteran “Today” show co-anchor who retired early last year to spend time with her children, returned to the show part-time, and is filling in for Savannah.
Producers were reportedly concerned that bringing in a new face to sub for Savannah would alienate her loyal audience.
Each morning, Hoda and Savannah’s co-anchor Craig Melvin inform viewers that Savannah “remains with her family,” in Arizona.
The missing person story has dominated all NBC news broadcasts. The public backlash to the unprecedented news coverage on all major news networks prompted Savannah to donate $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help families like hers who are missing loved ones.
