Katie Couric has called Savannah Guthrie's ordeal "tragically unprecedented"

Katie - who co-hosted the Today show between 1991 and 2006 - told Variety: "This situation is tragically unprecedented, and I think it's really hard to compare anything else to what Savannah and her family are dealing with right now.

"I do think morning shows are living, breathing organisms, and when something happens to a member of these very close-knit teams, it is devastating, I think, to everyone.

"I think the Today show team is doing the best they possibly can, and it must be excruciating to try to carry on, but also to cover a story about a beloved colleague."

Hoda Kotb - who stepped down from the programme full-time in January 2025 - returned as co-anchor alongside Craig Melvin on February 6 to stand in for Savannah and Katie, 69, admits TV bosses were lucky to have such a "familiar and beloved" presenter on standby.

She added: "They are fortunate that Hoda, who is a familiar and beloved face, is able to step in so seamlessly under very difficult circumstances. I think they are trying to handle it as well as they possibly can."

The Today show team has showed support for Savannah by decorating their Studio 1A set with yellow ribbons in flowers, taking their lead from residents in Nancy's Arizona neighbourhood, while on-screen talent have also worn yellow ribbons during appearances on the programme.

Katie's comments come after Savannah and her family offered a $1 million reward for the "recovery" of their missing mother even though they have accepted it may already be too late to save her.

In a video posted on Instagram, Savannah said: "It is day 24 since our mom was taken in the dark of night, from her bed and every hour and minute and second and every long night has been agony since then. Of worrying about her, fearing for her, aching for her and most of all just missing her.

"We know that millions of you have been praying ... for her return and we feel those prayers. Please keep praying.

"We still believe in a miracle, we still believe that she can come home - hope against hope ... We are blowing on the ambers of hope.

"We also know that she may be lost, she may already be gone, she may have already gone home to the Lord that she loves and is dancing in heaven with her mom and her dad and her beloved brother Pierce and with our daddy."

Savannah went on to add: "If this is what's to be then we will all accept it. But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home.

"For that reason we are offering a family reward of up to $1 million for any information that leads us to her recovery ... You can call the ... tip line, you can be anonymous if you want.

"Someone knows something that will bring her home and we are begging you to please come forward now ... "