NBC executives are privately weighing contingency plans for the Today show if co-anchor Savannah Guthrie remains absent for an extended period, or chooses not to return, amid the ongoing disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.
While NBC's primary focus remains supporting Guthrie during this difficult time and responsibly covering the developing story involving one of its top anchors, internal discussions at 30 Rock involve scenarios for prolonged fill-ins or potential permanent changes, according to multiple television news veterans familiar with the conversations.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson, Arizona, on February 1, 2026, after last being seen on January 31. Authorities, including the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI, treat the case as a suspected abduction or kidnapping.
Key developments include:
- Ransom demands (including bitcoin requests) reported to media, though no confirmed follow-up contact.
- DNA from a glove found near the home showed no matches in national databases like CODIS, and investigators are pursuing leads such as genetic genealogy.
- A person (and later a mother and son) detained or searched but released without charges.
- No suspects named publicly; the family, including Savannah and her siblings, has been fully cleared.
- Efforts to track Nancy's pacemaker and outreach to Mexican authorities for cross-border leads.
- An active FBI reward (amounts reported up to $100,000 in some coverage) for information leading to her location or the arrest/conviction of those responsible.
Savannah Guthrie has been on leave since early February to support the family and search efforts. She was also excused from NBC's 2026 Winter Olympics coverage in Milan. Fill-in anchors such as Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, and others have handled hosting duties, with the show showing subtle support (e.g., yellow ribbons and roses in the studio).