EXCLUSIVE: Savannah Guthrie Comeback Was a Washout — Host's Dramatic Return From Tragedy Draws Disappointing Reception
Savannah Guthrie's comeback after tragedy has received a disappointing and muted reception.
May 6 2026, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Suffering Savannah Guthrie received less than the warm welcome home she expected from Today viewers and even her coworkers, RadarOnline.com has learned, with sources saying the anchor's colleagues loved her up on air, but the reception wasn't the same behind the scenes.
After two-plus months of searching for her still-missing, abducted mom, Guthrie, 54, returned to the air April 6 but didn't attract the crowds that network bosses expected, according to RadarOnline.com.
Major Let Down
NBC executives anticipated large crowds for Savannah Guthrie's return to 'Today,' but turnout in New York fell short of expectations.
"The show really thought this was going to be a massive moment," a source told RadarOnline.com. "Everybody at NBC thought there were going to be hundreds of people, if not thousands of people, in the plaza."
Company bigwigs – who are eager for Today to reestablish itself as champion of the breakfast programs after repeatedly being bested by ABC's Good Morning America – attempted to create fanfare by announcing Guthrie's big comeback more than 10 days earlier.
"They'd hired extra security," the RadarOnline.com source added. "They thought that this was going to be like a pop concert, like Justin Bieber in the plaza."
Instead, noted the insider, just a "decent" number of fans showed up in NYC.
Meanwhile, TV ratings saw only a 6 percent boost from the previous week.
"They were not up like the show thought it would be," admitted the source.
NBC Tensions Rise as Case Stalls
Ratings for 'Today' rose only 6 percent following Savannah's comeback as interest in her mom, Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, declined.
While the mystery surrounding Nancy Guthrie's Feb. 1 disappearance from her Arizona home captured attention around the country for weeks on end, interest has seemingly waned as the 84-year-old's case remains unsolved.
Publicly, Savannah's colleagues have been supportive of both the ongoing search and her decision to resume working – however, sources said some at 30 Rock wish she would've stayed focused on finding her mom and away from Studio 1A.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Today has been mired in catty office politics for years, with insiders fretting about the amount of control Savannah gained once she pushed Hoda Kotb, 61, out of her full-time anchor role in January 2025.
Feud Rumors Swirl Between Savannah Hoda
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A source claimed Savannah and Hoda Kotb have long had tensions amid reported internal issues at 'Today.'
"Savannah and Hoda have never [gotten] along," claimed the source.
The gossip columnist said the environments at morning shows are notoriously "nasty" – and that's why he decided to set his newly published debut novel, It Started With a Whisper, around one.
"It's vicious," the author dishes about clocking in on an a.m. program. "It is so cutthroat."
