Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie shared the spotlight as co-anchors on “Today” for seven memorable years.
WASHINGTON — On Friday, former “Today” host Hoda Kotb made a heartfelt return to the show, expressing solidarity with Savannah Guthrie as the search for Guthrie’s missing mother continues.
Upon her return, Kotb shared, “This situation breaks my heart, and I’m grateful to be here with you. I’ve been pondering, ‘What’s next?’ and I imagine Savannah in her usual spot. I want to extend a heartfelt good morning, and let everyone know we’re all hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return.”
Savannah Guthrie has been absent from the show for the entire week as authorities investigate the kidnapping of her 84-year-old mother.
Kotb, who departed from the show in January 2025, maintains a strong bond with the team and has made appearances to update fans on her life. Her partnership with Guthrie on “Today” spanned seven years.
During Friday’s broadcast, Kotb highlighted the overwhelming nationwide support for the Guthrie family.
“It feels like our family’s here,” said Sheinelle Jones, who has been sitting in for Guthrie while she remains in Arizona to assist with the search for her mother.
Nancy Guthrie has been missing since last weekend, when law enforcement officials say they believe somebody broke into her house early Sunday morning and abducted the elderly woman.
In a pair of videos posted to Savannah Guthrie’s social media accounts, the family has pleaded with her kidnappers to speak with them, or at least show proof that she is still alive.
Camron Guthrie, Nancy’s son and Savannah’s brother, spoke in a video released Thursday, calling for proof that their 84-year-old mother is still alive.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” he said in the video on behalf of the family. “We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward.”
Investigators said Thursday DNA analysis of blood found on Nancy’s front stoop determined it belonged to the kidnapped woman, raising more fears about her safety. The FBI is treating a pair of ransom notes delivered to different media outlets as credibly from the kidnappers, saying they contained details not released to the public.
Danger rises for Nancy, who needs daily medication
Now, five days after she was reported missing, the race is on to find Nancy before anything happens to her. Officials say she has to take daily medication, and not taking it could have fatal consequences.
“We know she is in need of medication, daily medication,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday. “And we know that this is day four or five, and we know she is not getting her medication.”
The FBI also confirmed that one of the ransom notes had a deadline of Thursday night to pay for Nancy’s return in cryptocurrency. It is unclear if the second note had a later deadline.
Investigators say they now have a more complete timeline of when Nancy Guthrie disappeared, saying they believe somebody kidnapped her in the early hours of Sunday, Feb. 1.
After going to a family member’s house for dinner and games, Nancy returned home via a rideshare driver around 9:45 p.m. local time on Saturday. Her garage door opened and closed a few minutes later, and it’s believed she got inside her home without issue.
Around 1:45 a.m., the doorbell camera attached to Nancy’s home was disconnected, officials said. Doorbell cameras are often hardwired into the home’s electrical supply, and a disconnect could mean the camera began operating on its battery backup.
At 2:12 p.m., the camera’s built-in software detected something in frame, but the device did not save footage. Law enforcement said it could be a person or even an animal that triggered the device.
By 2:28 p.m., the pacemaker app on Nancy’s phone indicated it had disconnected from the device. Most pacemaker apps connect with in-body devices through a wireless connection that requires them to be close to the device.
Sheriff’s officials say that window indicates when Nancy was most likely taken.
“I think those times speak for themselves,” Nanos said.
