NBC revealed Monday that “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie will be hosting a primetime “Wordle” game show, with the announcement coinciding with the 100-day mark of her mother’s disappearance.
“Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, who is set to produce the game show, appeared on “Today” alongside Guthrie to promote the new program.
“We’ve been developing ‘Wordle’ as a game show for the past two and a half years with The New York Times, and it’s official, we are making ‘Wordle’ game show with our host, Savannah Guthrie!” Fallon told viewers.
“We’ve been holding this secret between us for, like, a long time now,” Guthrie said.
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“Wordle” is the widely-popular puzzle game that first went viral in 2021 and was later bought by The New York Times.
Guthrie revealed that “Wordle” had been picked up by NBC in February and that it was supposed to be shot in March, but the network’s plans were upended by the tragic disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, from her Tuscon, Arizona, home. She thanked the network, Fallon, The Times and Universal for pausing production.
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“When everything happened with me and my family, they just stopped everything and said, ‘We’ll wait for you,’” Savannah said. “And Hollywood is like a really tough business, as you know, and I didn’t expect that. And I just want to say, thank you. It means so much to me.”
“We can’t do it without you,” Fallon responded. “We need you, bud. You’re so good, and it’s so fun. I can’t wait for everyone to see it. It’s fantastic.”
Filming is expected to take place in the summer. An air date has yet to be announced.
Guthrie returned to “Today” in early April after a two-month absence as the search for her mother drew national attention.
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been taken from her home against her will in the early hours Feb. 1 and was last seen when her son-in-law dropped her off at home around 10 p.m. the night before. Footage captured from a device in front of the home showed a masked man was seen on her doorstep and appeared to be armed with a handgun.
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A series of unverified ransom notes were sent to media outlets, including TMZ and a local Tucson station, leading many to believe the disappearance is somehow financially motivated. No suspects have been publicly identified.
Investigators and the family have repeatedly appealed to the public for help. There is a combined reward of more than $1.2 million in connection with the case — a million of it from the Guthrie family for their mother’s recovery. The family has asked anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Brian Flood contributed to this report.
