NBC names replacement for Savannah Guthrie ahead of Olympics Opening Ceremony
Former professional tennis player Mary Carillo will step in for Savannah Guthrie to co-host NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, amid the disappearance of Guthrie’s mother, Nancy.
Molly Solomon, the president of NBC Olympics Production, confirmed the news on Wednesday, saying Carillo will join Terry Gannon in Milan for the ceremony on Friday. It will mark Carillo’s 17th Olympic assignment and 14th with NBCUniversal.
“Our hearts go out to Savannah and the entire Guthrie family. They continue to have our full support,” Solomon said in a statement.
“We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talented commentators who will step in and fill these roles,” Solomon continued. “Mary is one of the most experienced Olympic commentators ever and a master storyteller. She and Terry will lead the American audience through one of the world’s greatest global moments.”
Guthrie was initially scheduled to fly to Milan on Monday when “the worst phone call of her life” upended those plans, an NBC producer told CNN. On Tuesday, NBC confirmed that Guthrie would no longer be joining the network at the Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”
NBC also announced that Guthrie’s “Today” co-host Craig Melvin, originally set to host “Olympic Late Night” this weekend, will remain “stateside” instead of traveling to Milan. NBC Sports reporter Ahmed Fareed will host that segment in Melvin’s place.
MISSING PERSON: Nancy Guthrie https://t.co/FckPCHSXKu pic.twitter.com/BcHeWPppzu
— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) February 2, 2026
The announcements come as Guthrie’s mother remains missing more than 72 hours after authorities launched an urgent search for the 84-year-old. She was last seen alive on Saturday night but disappeared from Savannah Guthriehome in Tucson, Ariz., early Sunday morning.
Though officials with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have described the home as a crime scene, noting blood inside the residence and signs of a forced entry, they remain hopeful that Nancy is alive.
“We have nothing else to go on but the belief that she is here,” Sheriff Chris Nanos said in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Today.”
According to Nanos, a ransom note sent Monday to a local Arizona news station included details about Nancy’s home and what she wore the night she vanished, though he wouldn’t confirm the note’s authenticity or accuracy of the information.
“It’s like any piece of evidence,” Nanos told CBS News. “You give it to us, you give us a lead, we’re going to look at every aspect of that lead.”
Investigators have shifted from an initial rescue effort to a criminal investigation, saying they “believe she was abducted” and “didn’t go willingly.”
As of Wednesday, police have not named a suspect or person of interest.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.