Today's co-host, Savannah Guthrie, won't attend the 2026 Olympics. Who will be taking her place? Read on to know.
After the absence of Today anchor, Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, the former will no longer be presenting the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, scheduled to kick off on February 6, 2026. Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin were scheduled to travel to Milan, Italy, for NBC's Winter Olympics coverage. However, People confirmed that she would no longer go to the games amid the search for her missing mother.
As Savannah Guthrie will not make her presence at the Olympics 2026, Mary Carillo, a longtime NBC Sports analyst, will take her place and join Terry Gannon in Milan to host the network's opening ceremony coverage.
NBC announced Mary Carillo’s name in a press release because she has a personal connection to Milan, having lived in the city for two years. Executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production, Molly Solomon, spoke about Carillo taking over the 2026 Olympics and said:
“Our hearts go out to Savannah and the entire Guthrie family. They continue to have our full support. We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talented commentators who will step in and fill these roles. Mary is one of the most experienced Olympic commentators ever and a master storyteller."
Mary Carillo is NBC’s most recognised voice during the Olympics and has hosted 14 Olympic Games for the network since her debut as a host at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She has been a longtime analyst on NBC’s tennis coverage. Not just this, Carillo is a former professional tennis player who won the 1977 French Open mixed doubles title at age 20. Carillo’s wit and storytelling have always appealed to the masses. After the opening ceremony, Carillo will continue to cover the Games as a SportsDesk reporter.
The NBC announced that Savannah’s co-host Craig Melvin, who was slated to host Olympic Late Night in Milan from Feb. 7 through Feb. 9, would remain stateside. Now, the Olympic Late Night will be hosted by Ahmed Fareed. He was already scheduled to serve as a daytime host in Milan for a portion of the Games and now will be taking Malvin’s place.
Talking about Fareed, he has previously covered five Olympic Games and is the host of Big Ten College Countdown and Peacock NBA Monday. Speaking about Fareed’s expertise, Molly Solomon said:
“With his skill and versatility, Ahmed has proven time and again he can step into any hosting role, and we’re thrilled he’s available to handle our late night coverage before heading to Los Angeles for NBA All-Star Weekend.”
Savannah Guthrie is going through the most traumatic phase of her life after her mother, Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, an NBC Sports spokesperson said Guthrie was skipping the Olympics as she "focuses on being with her family during this difficult time."
On February 4, 2026, NBC announced that Melvin would also not be part of the network's on-site Olympics coverage, and instead, would remain stateside. On the other hand, Melvin spoke about Nancy's disappearance on the Today show and said that people have "come out of the woodwork" to share their support for the Guthrie family and are praying for them.
On Feb. 4, 2026, Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, released a video on Instagram in which they spoke out to their mother and her potential abductor. In the video, the Today co-host turned emotional and said:
“As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us."
What do you think about Mary Carillo replacing Savannah Guthrie for the 2026 Olympics?
Also Read: Nancy Guthrie's Kidnap, New Message Is Received With Hidden IP Address, Over 100 People Are Working