Making her return to NBC News’ Today on Monday after a two-month absence following her mother’s disappearance, Savannah Guthrie greeted viewers by saying, “It is good to be home.”
Joined on set by her co-anchor Craig Melvin, who welcomed Guthrie back, the anchor quickly turned the focus off of herself: “Here we go. Ready or not, let’s do the news,” Guthrie said.
Melvin then dove into the show’s lead story as he patted Guthrie’s hand.
During the 8:30 a.m. ET portion of Monday’s show, Guthrie was welcomed into the Today plaza by Melvin and her other co-hosts, including Al Roker, Carson Daly, and Sheinelle Jones.
She was led into the plaza by the Today’s fourth-hour co-host and good friend Jenna Bush Hager, with fans braving the chilly morning to welcome her back, sporting welcome back signs and t-shirts.
This was Guthrie’s first live appearance since January 30, two days before the unsettling revelation that Nancy Guthrie, her mother, had been abducted. Hoda Kotb has been filling in for her during her absence.
Savannah Guthrie announced her return to Today in late March in an emotional interview with Kotb, telling her former co-host, “When times are hard, you want to be with your family. And I want to be with my family,” referencing her NBC News colleagues.
Acknowledging the difficulty of the situation, as the search for her mother extends past the two-month mark, with authorities still aggressively pursuing all angles, Guthrie went on to say, “I don’t know if I can do it. I don’t know if I’ll belong anymore, but I would like to try.”
Explaining how she’s coping with her mother’s absence, Guthrie said, “Faith is how I will stay connected with my mom. God is how I am holding hands with my mom.”
