Savannah Guthrie resumed her position at the TODAY anchor desk on Monday, following a hiatus of over two months since her mother's disappearance.
Savannah donned a vibrant yellow dress, reflecting the yellow ribbons and flowers placed at her mother's residence. At the start of the show, she said, “It is good to be home.”
In response, TODAY co-anchor Craig Melvin stated, “Yes, it is good to have you at home.”
The two anchors subsequently shifted their focus to the leading headlines of the morning, which featured an introductory segment regarding the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. “Well, here we go, ready or not,” Guthrie remarked. “Let's do the news.”
Guthrie, who has been a co-anchor of TODAY since 2012, temporarily stepped back from her position in early February following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie from her residence near Tucson, Arizona. Authorities have suspected kidnapping or abduction of the 84-year-old mom.
Netizens react to Savannah Guthrie's comeback
Meanwhile, several X users reacted to the clip of her show doing rounds on social media, with one saying: “Prayers for this poor lady. This has to be so difficult 😥”.
“I pray her mother is found alive but unfortunately the longer it goes it’s less likely,” another said.
However, some critics found her return to the show “strange" as her mother remains missing.
“I couldn’t go back to life as normal if my mom was still missing. Weird,” one commented.
While the second user said, “It’s all a hoax,” another remarked, “Fake smile.”
Savannah Guthrie's return to TODAY
Savannah informed Hoda Kotb last month that she feels returning to TODAY is "part of my purpose right now," despite finding it challenging to envision returning to a workplace she connects with "joy and lightness."
Today, co-anchor Craig Melvin announced Savannah's return during the March 27 broadcast of the show, stating: "It’s where she belongs. It’s where we all want her to be. We cannot wait to welcome her back with open arms here in Studio 1A."
In her remarks on Monday show, Savannah recognized the TODAY fans who had gathered outside on Rockefeller Plaza, some of whom were wearing yellow pins and holding signs featuring her mother's photo. “I’m excited to see them and give them all a hug. I’ve been really feeling the love so much,” she said.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, Nancy Guthrie’s family reported her missing around noon on February 1 after she failed to arrive at a friend’s house for virtual church services. Authorities stated that she was last seen the night before at approximately 9:45 p.m. after having dinner at her daughter Annie Guthrie’s residence.