Savannah Guthrie Breaks Down in Emotional First Interview Since Her Mother’s Disappearance: ‘I Will Not Hide My Face’

Guthrie sat down with Hoda Kotb for a pre-taped interview which will air on Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27

Savannah Guthrie; Hoda Kotb.Credit : 

Savannah Guthrie has given her first interview to Hoda Kotb in the wake of her mother Nancy’s disappearance.

During the Wednesday, March 25 episode of Today, Kotb shared that she sat down with Guthrie for a lengthy interview, which will air on the morning show on Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27.

“Craig [Melvin], Al [Roker], and Carson [Daly], as you can imagine, it was a really emotional conversation,” Kotb said on air before rolling a clip from the interview. “We’re gonna have the whole thing for you tomorrow and Friday, but first, we did want to bring you one of the moments from the interview where Savannah shared a message to anybody who may have information about Nancy.”

In a clip from the conversation, Guthrie said to Kotb through tears: “Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable.”

“And to think of what she went through. I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night,” she added. “And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable, but those thoughts demand to be thought. And I will not hide my face. But she needs to come home now.”

Daly then asked Kotb how she was doing, post-interview.

“I’m ok. There is a desperation and also a steeliness about Savannah,” Kotb said after the clip rolled. “I mean, she’s hoping that somebody, whoever this person is, will see something and say something and as you’ll see in the coming days she talks about so many things. She talks about the investigation she talks about her faith and she talks about how she’s getting through that was one portion there.”

Savannah Guthrie.NBC

Kotb also noted that Guthrie will speak about “how God’s holding her hand,” and Kotb couldn’t help but “marvel” that “she was able to sit there with an outfit on, have a conversation, and also have just direct thoughts about what she sees going forward.”

Daly wiped away visible tears.

Savannah Guthrie; Hoda Kotb.NBC / TODAY

On March 5, PEOPLE reported that Guthrie plans to return to Today in an official capacity. While no date was set at that time, PEOPLE can confirm that information will be coming soon.

Three weeks ago, on March 5, Guthrie visited the Today show set in New York City for the first time since returning from Arizona. PEOPLE confirmed that she shared an emotional reunion with the entire staff and crew. She thanked them all for their prayers and support and for “caring about my mom as much as I do.”

She also said that she had “every intention of coming back” to the show. “I don’t know how to come back, but I don’t know how not to,” she said. “You’re my family. And, I would like to try.”

Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on the ‘Today’ set in 2023.Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

Then, just days ago on March 21, Guthrie and her siblings issued a new statement with the people of Tucson, Ariz., thanking them for the support amid the ongoing search for Nancy.

“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring from neighbors, friends and the people of Tucson. We are all family now. We continue to believe it is Tucsonans, and the greater southern Arizona community, that hold the key to finding resolution in this case. Someone knows something,” began the statement, which was released during the KVOA News 4 Tucson special Bring Her Home: The Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.

“It’s possible a member of this community has information that they do not even realize is significant. We hope people search their memories, especially around the key timelines of January 31 and the early morning hours of February 1, as well as the late evening of January 11,” the statement continued.

“We desperately ask this community for renewed attention to our mom’s case — please consult camera footage, journal notes, text messages, observations or conversations that in retrospect may hold significance. No detail is too small. It may be the key.”

The statement concluded with yet another plea for Nancy’s return home so that her family can honor her life.

“We miss our mom with every breath and we cannot be in peace until she is home. We cannot grieve; we can only ache and wonder. Our focus is solely on finding her and bringing her home. We want to celebrate her beautiful and courageous life. But we cannot do that until she is brought to a final place of rest. Thank you for continuing to pray without ceasing.”

The statement was signed “The Guthrie Family,” specifically listing “Camron and Kristine, Annie and Tommaso, and Savannah and Michael.”

The search for Nancy is now in its eighth week. The 84-year-old was last seen on Jan. 31, after her family dropped her off at her home in Tucson. When she failed to show up for a virtual church service the next day, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) launched an urgent search for Nancy.

Investigators believe that Nancy was kidnapped overnight, citing surveillance footage of a masked man at her front door.

In a March 12 interview with NBC News, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos revealed that investigators believe they know the motive behind the kidnapping.

“We believe we know why [the kidnapper] did this and we believe that it was targeted, but we’re not 100% sure of that,” Nanos said. “I think day one, we had some strong beliefs about what happened, and those beliefs haven’t diminished.” No other details were shared.