Where is Savannah Guthrie on 'Today'? When is she returning to Today, and what has been behind her recent absences?

Savannah Guthrie has missed two recent episodes of NBC’s Today, leaving viewers wondering when she will be back at the anchor desk. Craig Melvin addressed her absence during Monday’s broadcast, saying Guthrie was expected to return on Tuesday, October 13. He did not explain why she had been away.

Her latest break comes after a difficult year for the longtime host, whose mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing since February, as per a report by USA Today.

When will Savannah Guthrie return to 'Today'?

Guthrie was last seen on Thursday, October 8. Melvin hosted the Monday, October 12, show alongside weekend co-anchor Laura Jarrett and told viewers Guthrie was expected back the following day. The show did not give a reason for her absence. USA TODAY said it had contacted Today representatives but had not received a response.

Guthrie was not the only familiar face missing from Monday’s broadcast. Al Roker was also away, with meteorologist Dylan Dreyer filling in for him.

The latest absence follows other breaks in Guthrie’s schedule. She missed two consecutive shows in July and took two weeks off in late August and September. She also stepped away in June as she began work on a Wordle game show based on The New York Times’ popular puzzle.

Her mother's disappearance has kept viewers concerned

Guthrie’s schedule has drawn particular attention since her mother was reported missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1. The Today co-anchor initially took about two months away from the show to focus on her family.

In February, the FBI released images of an armed person at Nancy Guthrie’s front door, appearing to tamper with a camera before her disappearance. The person has not been identified, and authorities have said Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will.

In July, Savannah Guthrie shared an emotional message on Instagram, describing the family’s pain and asking people to help find her mother.

“We are in a nightmare that will not end; nothing about our situation has changed,” she said. “We will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts.”

What is the latest update on Nancy Guthrie?

Earlier in October, former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer, a NewsNation law and justice contributor, said four ransom emails connected to the case were fake. She said the FBI told her the bitcoin address on the notes did not match the address linked to ransom demands investigators had considered potentially legitimate.

Coffindaffer warned that people following the case could be tricked into sending money.

In a June conversation with Jenna Bush Hager on Today, Savannah Guthrie also spoke about how difficult it had been to keep working while her mother remained missing.

“I cry every morning on the way to work, and I cry every morning on the way home,” she said.

October marked eight months since Nancy Guthrie disappeared, and no suspect had been named. For now, Savannah Guthrie’s return to Today was expected on October 13, according to Melvin’s announcement.