PEOPLE has learned what Savannah told her colleagues when she returned to the Today set on March 5. This marked her first time back on set since her mom Nancy disappeared on Feb. 1. A Today spokesperson had previously confirmed Savannah’s visit in a statement.
During her visit to the Today show set on March 5, Savannah Guthrie addressed her colleagues as she reunited with the team for the first time since her mother Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
PEOPLE has learned that Savannah thanked the entire staff and crew for their love, prayers and support, and for “caring about my mom as much as I do.”
Savannah said in part, “I wanted you to know that I’m still standing, and I still have hope, and I’m still me. And I don’t know what version of me that will be, but it will be. I’m holding onto my faith. I still believe. And as my mom would say, ‘where else would I go?’”
Savannah added, “I have every intention of coming back. I don’t know how to come back, but I don’t know how not to. You’re my family. And I would like to try.”
PEOPLE has also learned that Savannah’s friend and colleague Dylan Dreyer then led a “beautiful” group prayer for everyone, beginning with, “We’re here holding hands as a family, in a place where we don’t understand why this is happening… It is not too bold to ask God for the biggest miracles every day.”
Before she left, Savannah hugged everyone in the studio. A Today spokesperson previously confirmed Savannah’s visit to 1A, saying in a statement that the beloved anchor “stopped by the studio this morning to be with and thank her Today colleagues.”
The spokesperson also noted that Savannah “plans to return to the show on air,” though she currently “remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home.”
Shortly after the visit, Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones began their fourth hour show, Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, and reflected on the emotional reunion. “Let’s just get right into it, full disclosure, we’ve had a powerful morning this morning,” Jones told viewers.
“Savannah has come back to her home here at 30 Rock in Studio 1A,” Bush Hager said, her voice catching. “We got to see her this morning and in her perfect way, she talked to all of us, hugged every single person in this room, the crew.”
“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,” Bush Hager added. “And she is beyond loved here. So we’re happy she’s home. I don’t know when she’s actually returning to the show. But she was here and that felt so good to get to hug her.”
Earlier in the week, Savannah visited Nancy’s Tucson, Ariz. property with her sister Annie Guthrie and brother‑in‑law Tommaso Cioni on March 2. In a video obtained by NewsNation, the three were seen hugging as they looked at a tribute near Nancy’s mailbox and added yellow flowers to the display.
That same day, Savannah shared a new photo on social media showing the many bouquets of flowers around Nancy’s mailbox, writing, “We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country 💛 please don’t stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home.”
Nancy was last seen going into her garage at 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. She was reported missing by her family at 12:03 p.m. local time on Feb. 1 when she failed to join friends for a virtual church service.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Savannah announced that the family was offering a reward of up to $1 million for any information leading to Nancy’s recovery. The FBI’s $100,000 reward also remains active.
Savannah also shared that the family donated $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
