Katie Couric Weighs In on Savannah Guthrie’s ‘Today’ Absence & Eventual Return

NBC is standing by Savannah Guthrie as the investigation into her mother Nancy Guthrie‘s disappearance continues.

Savannah has been absent from her coanchor role on Today since Nancy was reported missing on February 1. Sheinelle Jones initially joined Craig Melvin at the hosting desk before Savannah’s former coanchor, Hoda Kotb, returned to her former role during the week of February 9.

“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,” former Today anchor Katie Couric shared in a recent interview, per Variety. “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.”

Couric said she thinks the Today crew 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.”

Couric’s time on Today did not coincide with Guthrie, as she left the NBC morning show after 15 years in 2006. Guthrie, meanwhile, joined the series in 2011 and took over for Ann Curry as Matt Lauer‘s cohost the following year. Kotb replaced Lauer in 2018 following his sexual misconduct scandal, and stayed in the role until she stepped down from Today in January 2025. Melvin has served as Guthrie’s coanchor ever since.

“They are fortunate that Hoda, who is a familiar and beloved face, is able to step in so seamlessly under very difficult circumstances,” Couric said of Kotb’s return to Today.

This week, multiple outlets reported that Kotb will continue to fill in for Savannah, but only on an interim basis. Guthrie is expected to return to Today eventually, but will do so on her own timeline.

“I think they are trying to handle it as well as they possibly can,” Couric said of Savannah’s ongoing absence.

Kotb and the Today crew have continued to give viewers the latest updates on Nancy’s case, and have shown their support by wearing yellow ribbons and filling the Studio 1A set with yellow flowers. The NBC morning show has also experienced an increase in viewership this month amid the investigation and due to the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Authorities have not named any persons of interest in the case, and the Guthrie family has been cleared as suspects. Details have been released about the masked suspect seen in Nancy’s home security footage, and officials are continuing to ask the public for help as they look into evidence such as mixed DNA found in Nancy’s home. Earlier this week, Savannah announced that her family is offering a $1 million reward to anyone with vital information about Nancy’s whereabouts.

Couric, for her part, has shown her support for Savannah by sharing information about Nancy’s investigation via social media. “I cannot stop thinking and worrying about Nancy Guthrie, Savannah, her siblings and her children. There is just so much sadness and anxiety in the world—so much cruelty, it is almost impossible to fathom,” Katie captioned an Instagram pic of Savannah and Nancy on February 3. “Sending them and all of you out there love and support and praying for the safety and well being of this lovely mom and grandmother and honestly, right now for an entire country that seems lost.”

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