Savannah Guthrie Returns to the “Today ”Show After Abrupt Exit
Savannah Guthrie Returns to the “Today ”Show After Abrupt Exit
Rachel McRadyThu, May 7, 2026 at 11:07 AM UTC
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Savannah Guthrie and Willie Geist on the 'Today' show on Thursday, May 7.
Credit: NBC
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Savannah Guthrie returned to the Today show after leaving abruptly during Wednesday's broadcast with no explanation given
Savannah recently returned to work following her mother Nancy's February abduction, which remains unsolved with no suspects identified
She previously shared her emotional decision to return to Today, calling it a source of joy and purpose amid her family's ordeal
Savannah Guthrie was back in the Today show anchor chair on Thursday, May 7.
She was joined by Willie Geist at the desk, appearing to be in good spirits as she discussed the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, at the top of the show.
"I know, I love Legally Blonde. I connect with this character and now we get to see her in high school," Guthrie gushed, noting that she dressed as Reese Witherspoon's character Elle Woods for the Today show's Halloween special one year.
Viewers of the NBC morning show grew concerned during Wednesday's episode when Guthrie, 54, made an abrupt exit from the show, 30 minutes before it was set to end.
At 8:30 a.m. local time, Guthrie's co-anchor Craig Melvin was out on the Today Show Plaza along with Jenna Bush Hager, Sheinelle Jones, Carson Daly and Dylan Dreyer, when he announced, “Savannah had to leave a little early. She will be right back here tomorrow though.”
The moment was accentuated by one of Guthrie's former high school teachers, who had shown up on the Plaza with a sign featuring the news anchor's throwback photos.
“Speaking of, this was Savannah's teacher,” Bush Hager declared, highlighting the personalized poster. “Was Savannah a great student?”
“Oh yeah, great student,” the teacher replied.
Savannah Guthrie's former teacher celebrated her on the 'Today' Show Plaza on May 6, 2026
Credit: NBC
No explanation was given for Guthrie's exit. PEOPLE has reached out to the Today show for comment.
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It has been just over a month since Savannah returned to her spot on the anchor desk after taking an extended leave of absence amid the abduction of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.
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Nancy was taken from her Tucson, Ariz., home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. In the months since her kidnapping, there have been no official suspects identified.
Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on the 'Today' set in 2023
Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
As the investigation continues, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos found himself back in the spotlight this week after comments from FBI Director Kash Patel surfaced, condemning how he handled the early days of the case.
“The first 48 hours of anyone's disappearance are the most critical,” Patel shared on Hang Out with Sean Hannity. “For four days, we were kept out of the investigation.”
Patel also claimed he “launched hundreds of agents and intel staff to Phoenix and Tucson just for this case, just to be on standby.”
Nanos responded to Patel's comments in a statement on X, noting, “We remain committed to a thorough, coordinated and fact-based investigation and will continue working closely with our federal partners as the process moves forward.”
Prior to Savannah's return to the Today show, she taped an emotional interview with Hoda Kotb about her experience learning her mother was missing and the investigation that's followed.
Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on the 'Today' show on May 6.
Credit: NBC
“I will not fall apart. I will not let whoever did this take my children's mother from them. I will not let them take my joy," she shared through tears.
She also discussed her decision to return to the Today show even as her mother's whereabouts remain unknown.
"It's hard to imagine doing it because it's such a place of joy and lightness and I can't come back and try to be something that I'm not," Guthrie said of returning to Today. "But I can't not come back because it's my family. I think it's part of my purpose right now. I want to smile. And when I do, it will be real. And my joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer. And being there is joyful. And when it's not, I'll say so.”
Anyone with information about Nancy's disappearance is asked to please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff's Department 520-351-4900.
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