Several staffers at NBC's "Today" show experienced feelings of being slighted when Hoda Kotb was chosen to fill in for Savannah Guthrie during the anchor's extended absence earlier this year. Showrunners presented Kotb's role as an "indefinite run," reportedly leaving other on-air personalities who viewed Guthrie's time away as a chance for career advancement feeling disappointed, according to a senior "Today" source speaking to Vulture.
The arrangement with Kotb was proposed in early February, days after Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing. The inclusion of Kotb was intended to prevent the "Today" team from appearing to be "jockeying for position during such a tragedy" and to avoid feeding speculation.
Savannah Guthrie, 54, has since returned to the "Today" set, although her 84-year-old mother remains missing. The Vulture report explored the "Today" team's challenge in reconciling the "unexplained cruelty" of the situation with the morning show's typically optimistic tone. The narrative of the unfolding events, which lacked resolution, reportedly strained the show's premise that "the world is good if you choose to see it."
The "Today Show Goes Dark," as the Vulture piece was headlined, detailed the saga from Guthrie's and the team's perspective. This included the family receiving news of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance on February 1 and Guthrie's emotional on-air plea for assistance following a troubling update about a ransom note received early in the search.
One source told Vulture, "I couldn’t imagine Savannah coming back and being happy and laughing ever again." Another senior staffer noted that "there was a period of time where if you polled the newsroom, the majority would have told you they’d be stunned if she returned." Guthrie stepped away at the beginning of the search and returned in April. A senior staffer indicated that it was Guthrie's suggestion to minimize on-air references to her absence to avoid unsettling viewers. This approach aimed to maintain the show's established tone.
The report also touched upon Guthrie's mental state, particularly her distress over the uncertainty of her mother's fate. In a March interview with Kotb, aired before Guthrie's return to the anchor chair, she stated, "I have to know." The feature concluded with a disclaimer that Guthrie was not leaving the show. It also referenced Guthrie's June 23 message to viewers after a TMZ report revealed a note suggesting Nancy Guthrie was dead. In a filmed message at the time, Guthrie pleaded, "We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace." Guthrie later told Kotb she believed two of the notes received were likely genuine, amidst a wave of fakes. "Today" reporter Liz Kreutz reiterated these details in a June 23 report. Returning to the studio, Guthrie, visibly emotional, told her colleagues, "I love you guys and I love this place... And this is unusual and unprecedented to say the least to be sitting here, but you know, I don't have any comment on this story, and I'm not involved in our coverage." She continued, "But I can't pretend I'm not here... So, since I am, I just want to take the opportunity to ask people, to really to beg people to come forward - somebody knows something." She added, "This is the moment to tell you that we need your help. We're begging for your help. I'm not going to miss that opportunity."
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31. No suspects have been identified in the case.