Craig Melvin Steps Back From Olympic Coverage to Stand With Savannah Guthrie During a Family Crisis, Choosing Presence and Compassion Over the Spotlight as Worry and Hope Collide

Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on Today.Credit : Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

Craig Melvin will no longer travel to Milan for NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage as the search continues for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, PEOPLE confirms.

The Today co-host will not be part of the network’s on-site Olympics coverage and will instead remain stateside, NBC announced on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Melvin had been scheduled to host Olympic Late Night from Milan from Feb. 7 through Feb. 9.

NBC confirmed that Ahmed Fareed, who was already slated to serve as a daytime host in Milan for a portion of the Games, will now host Olympic Late Night in Melvin’s place.

The change comes amid the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy. Melvin addressed the situation during Monday morning’s broadcast.

“We want to get right to what is a deeply personal story for us,” he said on air. “Nancy Guthrie, Savannah’s beloved mother, has been reported missing in Arizona.”

On Wednesday, Melvin shared that the Guthrie family has received an outpouring of support in recent days.

“Over the last few days, people have come out of the woodwork,” he said, noting that many have reached out to say they are praying for the family. He added that the messages are something “Savannah and the family needs to hear.”

Melvin also reflected on a message that has resonated with him during the difficult time.

“My pastor used to have this saying years ago,” he said. “He’s like, it’s easy to be faithful when things are going well in your life. It’s easy to be faithful when you’re at the mountaintop, but the God of the mountain is the God of the valley.”

The day before NBC announced Melvin’s change in plans, PEOPLE confirmed that Guthrie would no longer go to the Olympics, where she was scheduled to host the opening ceremony and report live from the Today show set in Milan.

The network announced that Mary Carillo will take Guthrie’s place and join Terry Gannon in Milan to host NBC’s opening ceremony coverage.

“Our hearts go out to Savannah and the entire Guthrie family. They continue to have our full support,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production, in a statement on Feb. 4.

Authorities have said they currently have no suspects as the search for Nancy continues.

“We have nothing else to go on but the belief that she is here,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a new interview with NBC’s Liz Kreutz that aired on Today on Feb. 4. “She’s present. She’s alive, and we want to save her.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.

The decision for Craig Melvin to remain in New York underscores the profound bond shared by the Today show team, prioritizing family and emotional support over one of the year’s largest broadcasting events. While the Winter Olympics in Milan represent a career pinnacle for many journalists, the consensus at NBC appears to be one of unwavering loyalty to Guthrie during her “God of the valley” moment. This reshuffling of the hosting roster—moving Ahmed Fareed into the late-night slot and Mary Carillo to the opening ceremony—ensures that the technical demands of the Games are met while allowing the core morning team to stand vigil. As the search in Arizona intensifies, the empty seats in Milan serve as a somber reminder of the real-world stakes facing the NBC family, with viewers and colleagues alike holding onto hope for a positive breakthrough in Pima County.