Savannah Guthrie is back on the "Today" show.
The journalist made her return to the NBC morning show on Monday after being absent for more than two months amid the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.
Surrounded by viewers wearing yellow ribbon stickers in honor of her mom and fans holding "Welcome back, Savannah" signs, Guthrie read the morning's biggest headlines. "It is good to be home," she went on to tell coanchor Craig Melvin, who said, "It is good to have you back at home."
"Well, here we go. Ready or not, let's do the news," Guthrie added with a smile, donning a yellow dress for the occasion.
At the 7:30 a.m. hour, the anchors, joined by Carson Daly and Al Roker, took a look at the four dozen or so viewers there to support Guthrie. "I'm excited to see them, given them all a hug," she said, her voice carrying emotion. "I've been really feeling the love so much, thank you."
About an hour later, Guthrie, joined by her colleagues, stepped outside and greeted her supporters. Craig Melvin remarked that it is a "special Monday morning" because "we're welcoming back our north star." Guthrie then walked out and waved to the crowd while locking arms with Jenna Bush Hager; the pair could be seen sharing a long hug before stepping outside.
"These signs are so beautiful," an emotional Guthrie said while standing in the plaza. "You guys have been so beautiful. I've received so many letters, so much kindness, to me and my whole family. We feel it. We feel your prayers. So thank you so much."
Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie on "Today."
Was Savannah Guthrie's mom found?
Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, has not been found. She was reported missing from her home in Arizona on Feb. 1. Authorities in Arizona, who have been searching for the 84-year-old for more than two months, have said they believe she was taken from her home against her will. In February, the FBI released images showing a masked suspect at Guthrie's front door before she disappeared, but the individual in the images has not been identified.
Savannah Guthrie stepped back from the "Today" show and NBC's Olympics coverage amid the search for her mom. The morning show has provided regular coverage of the case, and Guthrie's colleagues have expressed support for her on the air throughout her absence.
Savannah Guthrie delivered emotional Easter message ahead of 'Today' return
One day prior to her "Today" return, Guthrie delivered an Easter Sunday message during Good Shepherd New York's April 5 digital gathering.
The "Today" anchor reflected on experiencing the "grievous and uniquely cruel injury of not knowing, of uncertainty and confusion, and answers withheld," and she said she has wondered whether Jesus "ever experienced" this "wound that I feel."
She also acknowledged having "moments of deep disappointment with God" and feelings of "utter abandonment," adding that "for most of us, there will come a time in our life when these feelings hold sway."
"Perhaps this is too dark a message to share on Easter morning, but I have long believed that we miss out on fully celebrating resurrection if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain, and yes, death," Guthrie said.
Nancy Guthrie, right, and "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie are pictured in an undated photograph.
Savannah Guthrie's return to work comes after first interview with Hoda Kotb
Guthrie recently sat down for her first interview about her mother's disappearance, speaking with Hoda Kotb.
In the emotional conversation, which aired on "Today" in multiple parts beginning on March 26, Guthrie said she and her family are in "agony" and still "don't know anything" about what happened to her mother.
The anchor wondered whether the fact that she is a prominent broadcaster led her mom to be targeted for ransom, and she said she is "so sorry" if this is the case. "[It's] too much to bear, to think that I brought this to her bedside," she said.
Guthrie urged anyone with information to come forward so her family can have peace. "We can't breathe," she said. "We can't live. We can't go on. We can't be at peace. We can't go forward," she said. "We have to know what happened to her."
Savannah Guthrie said returning to 'Today' is 'part of my purpose'
In the interview, Guthrie also explained her decision to return to "Today."
"It's hard to imagine doing it, because it's such a place of joy and lightness," she said. "I can't come back and try to be something that I'm not. But I can't not come back, because it's my family. I think it's part of my purpose right now. I want to smile. And when I do, it will be real. My joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer. And being there is joyful."
Guthrie returned to "Today" one day after Easter, a fact that Al Roker noted when her return date was announced. "It's almost symbolic, after Easter, the resurrection," he said. "I think as a family, we'll hold hands and help her."
Guthrie previously visited the "Today" studio in New York City on March 5, though she did not appear on the air. At the time, NBC confirmed that Guthrie told colleagues she planned to return to the show.
"She said that she has the intention to return to the show, even though it feels like the hardest thing to do, it's also her home, and where she feels so loved, and she is beyond loved here," Jenna Bush Hager said. "And so we're happy that she is home."
Guthrie has been continuing to plead with the public for help in getting answers about her mother's disappearance in recent weeks, as authorities in Arizona have had no breakthroughs in their search. In a statement released on March 21, the family asked for "renewed attention" to the case.
"Someone knows something," the Guthrie family's statement said, addressing Arizonans. "It’s possible a member of this community has information that they do not even realize is significant."
