Hoda Kotb makes somber return as TODAY anchor as Craig Melvin confirms she'll stay while Savannah Guthrie 'remains with her family'

Hoda Kotb is back on TODAY, albeit for a painful reason.

Though the former NBC anchor has made plenty of guest appearances since leaving the long-running program over a year ago, she has returned this week to her old seat as an anchor, in place of Savannah Guthrie, alongside Craig Melvin.

Savannah has been absent from the show since her mother Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Arizona earlier this month, and the case remains unsolved. For the latest updates, see what we know so far here.

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Hoda and Craig started the Monday, February 9 episode of TODAY confirming that as of right now, there are "a lot more questions than answers" about the investigation into Nancy's kidnapping, which is entering its second week.

"Hoda is joining us while Savannah remains with her family in Arizona. We are grateful to have you here," Craig said, seemingly implying that she would remain as co-anchor of the show for the time being.

"You know what, Craig, we talk about our show like it's a family, we are a family," Hoda then maintained, adding: "I'm part of the family, I am happy to be with you because we show up for each other."

© Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty I

Nancy's abduction is now in its second week of the investigation, and authorities have maintained that despite receiving an alleged ransom message, they have yet to identify a suspect or person of interest. 

Among the latest updates on Nancy's case is that of the ransom note that the family received, which is being taken seriously by investigators.

Per CBS News, the letter included a deadline of 5p.m. Thursday, however it didn't specify a time zone.

The letter also allegedly made a million-dollar demand, in Bitcoin, while that might be seen as a way to keep the kidnapper or kidnappers' identities anonymous, the transactions are not wholly untraceable.

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Nancy, 84, was last seen on January 31, 2026, and investigators believed she was kidnapped from her home in the middle of the night. Given that she has mobility issues, she could not have exited her home by herself, and her family has emphasized that failing to take her daily medication, which was found at her home, could prove fatal.

In addition to Savannah, herself a mom to two kids, Nancy is also a mother to the anchor's siblings Annie and Camron, who have appeared alongside her in a series of heartbreaking videos they have posted demanding Nancy's return.