Hoda Kotb ‘Keen to Stay’ on ‘Today’ After Returning to Fill in for Savannah Guthrie (Exclusive)

Hoda Kotb didn’t think twice about returning to the Today show to fill in for Savannah Guthrie as she deals with her mother Nancy’s disappearance.

“We show up for each other,” the broadcast journalist, 61, declared.

But as the search enters its third week, an insider tells Star that there’s a lot of panic right now about how things will shape up down the line.

Kotb, 61, “is keen to stay on and reclaim her full-time gig even if Savannah does return,” reveals the insider, possibly spelling trouble for her appointed replacement Craig Melvin. “He’s understandably nervous and hoping he doesn’t wind up being a casualty of all this upheaval.”

The future of the Today show has become a topic of conversation amid Guthrie’s continued absence.

A source told Status News that there’s “no way” the newscaster, 54, is ever coming back. “I can’t imagine she would ever want to,” they told the outlet.

“The bosses are leaving the door wide open and praying she’ll return,” says Star’s insider. “They’re keen to emphasize that there’s no pressure and everyone needs to remain supportive and focused during this incredibly challenging time.”

On Wednesday, February 18, Kotb revealed that she and the rest of Today show family, including Jenna Bush Hager, Al Roker, Carson Daly, Sheinelle Jones and Melvin, 46, were wearing yellow ribbons in support of the Guthrie family.

“Having Savannah away for this long has ripped the heart out of the show. It’s a real pins-and-needles situation right now,” says the insider. “Everyone’s hoping and praying for a miracle as far as Savannah’s ordeal but bracing themselves for major turmoil as the nightmare drags on.”