Savannah Guthrie is preparing to return to the Today show after spending nearly a month in Arizona searching for her missing mother.
The longtime NBC co-host has been in Tucson since February 1, one day after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was last seen. With few public updates and no major breakthroughs in the case, sources now say Savannah plans to head back to New York this weekend to reunite with her husband, Michael Feldman, and their two children.
Despite online rumors that she might step away from television permanently, insiders say that was never realistic.
“She’s not walking away,” one media insider said on a recent podcast appearance. “You don’t work your way up from local news to sitting in that chair on Today unless you really want it. She loves that job. And her mom loved seeing her there.”
Savannah joined Today as co-host in 2012 and has become one of the network’s most recognizable faces. Friends say her career remains important to her — and that she believes continuing her work does not diminish the love she has for her family.
“You can love your family and love your job,” the insider added. “You don’t have to choose.”
Sources close to the situation say Savannah poured everything she had into the search effort while in Arizona.
“She gave it everything,” one person familiar with the situation shared. “Every ounce of energy went into trying to find her mom. She can leave knowing she did absolutely everything possible.”
Now, returning to New York means leaning on her support system.
“New York is where she feels steady,” the source said. “She needs that right now.”
In a recent emotional Instagram video, Savannah acknowledged the painful uncertainty surrounding her mother’s disappearance.
“We’re still hoping,” she said. “But we also know that she may be lost; she may already be gone. If this is what is to be, then we will accept it. But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home.”
The family has announced a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s return.