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Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie shared the role of co-anchor on the ‘Today’ show for seven years.
WASHINGTON — On Friday, former “Today” show host Hoda Kotb made a return to the program to show support for Savannah Guthrie, who is currently dealing with the disappearance of her mother.
“I just want to express how heartbroken I am over this situation, and I’m grateful to be sitting here with you,” Kotb commented during her return. “I’ve been wondering where to go from here, and I keep picturing Savannah in her spot. I just want to say good morning, and everyone is hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return.”
Guthrie has been absent from the show throughout the week while authorities continue their investigation into the abduction of her 84-year-old mother.
Kotb departed the show in January 2025, but she maintains a close relationship with the team and has made occasional appearances to update fans on her life. For seven years, Kotb and Guthrie were the dynamic duo at the helm of “Today.”
During Friday’s broadcast, Kotb shared a segment about the nationwide outpouring of 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.