Did Savannah Get a Major Update on Nancy Guthrie? Anchor Abruptly Leaves ‘Today’ Show Mid-Broadcast

Savannah Guthrie returned to host the Today show on April 6, after being away for over two months due to her mother, Nancy Guthrie’s, disappearance. Since her return, Guthrie has carried out her professional duties as usual.

However, viewers noticed something unusual during the April 15 broadcast of the show. During the episode, Guthrie appeared to leave the studio mid-show. In one segment, the journalist introduced viewers to Anne Hathaway. The actress had appeared on the show to discuss her upcoming film, Mother Mary.

It seemed like Guthrie was about to interview Hathaway. However, the show went to a commercial, and once it returned, Guthrie was no longer on set. Instead, Hoda Kotb replaced her and eventually interviewed Hathaway. Though reports suggest Guthrie later returned to the set, her abrupt departure has sparked discussion on social media.

People are wondering whether there was a major update in the Nancy Guthrie investigation that prompted the Today show producers to take her off the air. “Maybe I’m imaging stuff but seems like Savannah tapped out on that segment for some reason,” one person wrote on X.

Another user questioned, “That’s strange. If Savannah was scheduled to leave and Hoda do the interview you’d think Hoda would’ve been there the whole time not Savannah…did they think people wouldn’t notice ?? Usually don’t they address it?”

One user also posted, “Remember the New York Post reported that if something happened with her mother’s case while she was on set they had a code word and she would be removed? I’m wondering if that happened or maybe she was just having a bad day?”

The concern stems from a recent report suggesting that Today show producers would tell Guthrie she was ‘needed off set’ if there was a new update on her mother. The phrase reportedly acts as a code between the producers and the host.

Talking about the arrangement, an insider from the Today show told the Daily Mail, “We would pull her immediately, mid-segment if we had to. She knows if one of the producers tells her she’s ‘needed off set’ that there’s a development.”

“She would understand that there was news about her mom and we’d take her into an office and tell her, at the same time that another anchor would report it as a breaking story,” the source added.

Nancy Guthrie has been missing since February 1. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have been probing the case ever since, but no arrests have been made in connection with her disappearance.

Savannah Guthrie took a leave of absence from the Today show at the beginning of February to be with her family in Arizona. At the end of March, she decided to resume her professional duties and came back to host Today on April 6.