The Today co-anchor said the NBC project moved forward after producers paused work during her family crisis.
NEW YORK — Savannah Guthrie will host a new NBC game show based on Wordle, a major career step announced Monday as the search for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, passed the 100-day mark.
The job puts Guthrie at the center of a prime-time project from NBC, The New York Times and Jimmy Fallon’s production company, Electric Hot Dog. It also comes during one of the most difficult periods of her public life. Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing from Arizona since early February, and investigators have treated the case as a suspected abduction.
Guthrie announced the Wordle show on Today with Fallon, who is an executive producer on the series. The program will adapt the popular five-letter word puzzle into a TV competition with teams facing off for a cash prize. NBC said production is expected to begin later this year and the show is slated to premiere in 2027. Guthrie said the project had been in the works for a long time, but she thanked the production team for pausing after her mother disappeared. “This is something that’s full of joy,” Guthrie said on the broadcast, acknowledging that the timing felt complicated because of her family’s pain.
Fallon said the show needed a host who could bring warmth, intelligence and experience to the game. Guthrie, a longtime Wordle player, said she liked that the format could be fast, fun and family-friendly. NBC said contestants will solve five-letter puzzles in a larger game-show arena, keeping the shared-play spirit that helped Wordle become a daily habit for millions of players. The New York Times bought Wordle in 2022 after the puzzle became a viral hit. For NBC, the show adds another word-based competition to a game-show lineup that already includes Password, which Fallon also produces and appears on.
The announcement arrived as Guthrie continued to speak publicly about her mother’s disappearance. Nancy Guthrie was reported missing Feb. 1 from her home in the Tucson area. Investigators have said the case involves evidence that suggested foul play, including surveillance video of a masked person near the home. The FBI offered a reward in the case, and the Guthrie family later announced a larger family reward. No arrest had been announced as of Tuesday. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said investigators are making progress, though authorities have released few new details while forensic testing and case work continue.
Guthrie had taken time away from Today after her mother vanished and returned to the anchor desk in April. Since then, she has balanced public work with private grief. On Mother’s Day, she posted a tribute to Nancy Guthrie and said her family would not stop looking for her. Her husband, Michael Feldman, also posted about Guthrie’s strength as the family moved through its first Mother’s Day without answers. On Monday’s Today broadcast, Guthrie wore yellow, a color that has become tied to hope and support in the search for her mother.
The missing-person case has drawn national attention because of Guthrie’s role on one of the country’s most-watched morning shows. It has also drawn scrutiny over how the investigation has unfolded. Reports have said DNA evidence remained under review, including material being examined through federal channels. Local and federal authorities have described the case as active, but many details remain unknown, including who took Nancy Guthrie, whether investigators have identified a suspect and what motive they believe may explain the disappearance. The family has kept pressure on the case through public statements, social media posts and reward announcements.
Within NBC, colleagues have shown support for Guthrie as she returns to regular work. Fallon framed the Wordle role as a natural fit for her, while Today co-hosts treated the announcement as a rare moment of good news during a painful stretch. Guthrie said the game had a personal meaning because she had shared Wordle with her mother. She also said she had shown Nancy Guthrie the pilot before the disappearance. The memory gave the announcement a second layer, linking a light entertainment project to the unresolved search that has shaped her family’s year.
The show is expected to film before its planned 2027 premiere. The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remains open, and authorities had not announced an arrest or recovery as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated Tuesday, May 12, 2026.