Savannah Guthrie has returned to her co-hosting duties on Today more than two months after her mother’s disturbing disappearance.
The morning show anchor, 54, donned a yellow dress Monday morning beside Craig Melvin, in a subtle nod to her family’s ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, who vanished from her Arizona home in the early hours of February 1. She has not been seen or heard from since.
In the months following Nancy’s disappearance, yellow came to represent a symbol of hope and support for the Guthrie family. NBC anchors were regularly seen wearing yellow ribbons in Guthrie’s absence to show support for their co-star, donning them again Monday for her return.
“Good morning, welcome to Today on this Monday morning,” Guthrie said at the start of her first broadcast since January 30. “We are so glad you started your week with us, and it is good to be home.”
Melvin responded, “It is good to have you back at home.”
“Well here we go, ready or not, let’s do the news,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie and Melvin, who wore a yellow tie and a yellow ribbon, moved on to cover the day’s hot topics, ranging from Donald Trump’s war on Iran to increased grocery prices.
Fellow Today anchors honored Guthrie throughout Monday’s broadcast with sweet gestures, including weatherman Al Roker blowing her a kiss, and Melvin sharing a high-five with her before a commercial break.
“We have our sunshine back,” Jenna Bush Hager said as she joined the show just before the 8 a.m. hour.
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Guthrie became teary after seeing the audience outside Studio 1A wearing yellow ribbons and holding signs to welcome her back. “Some beautiful signs out there,” the anchor said, adding that she is “really feeling the love.”
During the 8 a.m. hour, an emotional Guthrie was welcomed back to the plaza outside of the studio, thanking the fans who had gathered with their signs and homemade t-shirts.
“These signs are so beautiful. I’ve received so many letters, so much kindness,” Guthrie told the crowd. “We feel your prayers, so thank you so much.”
A day before her return, Guthrie shared an emotional video message about hope on Easter for Good Shepherd New York church. She reflected on her faith journey and said she felt moments of a “deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment.”
Nancy was reported missing from her Arizona home February 1, and police later said they believed the 84-year-old was taken from her home against her will. Her disappearance sparked a grueling ongoing search that has lasted over 10 weeks.
In February, the FBI released pictures of a masked and armed person outside of Nancy’s home the night she went missing. No suspect has been identified.
Guthrie sat down for her first interview since her mother’s disappearance with Hoda Kotb in a segment that aired last month.
“I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom and somebody thought, ‘Oh, that lady has money and we can make a quick buck.’ I mean, that would make sense,” she said in the emotional footage. “But we don’t know … which is too much to bear, to think that I brought this to her bedside.”
The Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to their mother’s recovery.