Savannah Guthrie went back to work behind the “Today” show anchor desk Monday for the first time since the stunning and still unsolved disappearance of her mother eight weeks ago.
The co-host’s return to the job was seamless. Guthrie, 54, read the tease of news stories at the top of the NBC morning program and made only a brief reference to her absence before heading into the day’s stories.
“We are so glad you started your week with us and it is good to be home,” Guthrie told viewers.
“Yes, it is good to have you back home,” said her co-anchor Craig Melvin.
“Well, here we go ready or not — let’s do the news,” she said.
Guthrie handled the first interview on program, talking to military analyst Col. Steve Warren about the weekend rescue of the pilot who was shot down over Iran.
She easily bantered with Melvin when introducing a segment on UCLA’s win over University of South Carolina in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.
“UCLA just crushed South Carolina,” Guthrie said.
“That’s a little strong,” Melvin said in defense of his home town team.
“It’s strong but appropriate,” she said.
Guthrie and Melvin smiled at each other and shook hands before the program went to its first local break. She appeared at ease and happy throughout the broadcast.
Fans gathered outside of the studio in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, many carrying signs that said “Welcome Back, Savannah.” Guthrie choked up as she entered the plaza to cheers during the program’s second hour.
“You guys have been so beautiful,” Guthrie told the crowd. “I received so many letters, so much kindness to me and my whole family. We feel it. We feel your prayers. So thank you so much.”
Guthrie spent most of the last two months in her hometown of Tucson after her 84-year old mother Nancy Guthrie went missing. Nancy Guthrie was last seen Jan. 31, when she spent the evening with family members.
Law enforcement officials believe Nancy Guthrie was removed from her Catalina Foothills home later that night against her will as her phone, wallet, car and medication were left behind. The investigation into her abduction is ongoing.
During her hiatus from “Today,” Guthrie made a series of videos sharing the raw emotions she experienced since Nancy Guthrie was abducted while pleading for her return. There are no leads in the case.
Guthrie being back on “Today” will help keep Nancy Guthrie’s case in the public eye as regular news coverage has waned.
Guthrie’s decision to work through her grief is a positive outcome for “Today.” A prolonged absence or departure from the program would have disrupted viewer habits at a time when traditional TV is struggling to hold onto audiences who have a wide array of media choices.
Guthrie is the second-longest tenured member of the program’s current on-air crew after weather forecaster Al Roker. She joined the third hour of “Today” in 2011 and took over for Ann Curry as co-host of the flagship two hours from 7 a.m to 9 a.m. in 2012.
Guthrie has persevered through the challenges “Today” has faced over her tenure. There was viewer backlash when her predecessor Curry — a longtime fan favorite — was ousted from the program.
In 2017, longtime co-host Matt Lauer was firedafter facing allegations of sexual harassment and the sexual assault of a “Today” producer.
The popular Lauer was considered irreplaceable at the time. But Guthrie, alongside co-host Hoda Kotb, who was promoted after Lauer’s firing, remained a calm stabilizing force for the program which did not lose any audience after the sudden transition.
Photographers and video crews were stationed outside the street level studio in Rockefeller Plaza where the program airs live each weekday.
The post Savannah Guthrie returns to NBC’s ‘Today’ for the first time since her mother went missing appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
