Mary Carillo joins previously announced Terry Gannon to host the Opening Ceremony, while Ahmed Fareed will host “Olympic Late Night.”

NBC announces Olympics replacement for Savannah Guthrie amid Today anchor’s mother’s disappearance

Mary Carillo joins previously announced Terry Gannon to host the Opening Ceremony, while Ahmed Fareed will host "Olympic Late Night."

By Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum is a staff writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2019 and is a published author. Her work has previously appeared in *TV Guide Magazine*, E! News/E! Online, *The Hollywood Reporter*, Mashable, Bustle, IGN, DCComics.com, Inverse, *The Daily Northwestern*, and more.

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February 4, 2026 3:44 p.m. ET

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Savannah Guthrie. Credit:

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

NBC has found its replacements for Olympics coverage after Savannah Guthrie dropped out due to her mother's ongoing disappearance.

On Wednesday, NBCUniversal announced that Mary Carillo and Ahmed Fareed will be stepping in for Guthrie as commentators for the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Carillo will join previously announced Terry Gannon to cohost the opening ceremony (along with previously announced Olympic gold medalist Shaun White), before covering the Games as a SportsDesk reporter. This will be her 17th time covering the Olympics, and her 14th with NBC.

Meanwhile Fareed, who was already announced as a daytime host in Milan, will now host *Olympic Late Night* airing Feb. 7-9. This is his sixth time at the Olympics.

Mary Carillo steps in to replace Savannah Guthrie for Olympics coverage.

Marleen Moise/Getty

After Fareed departs Milan for Los Angeles to host NBC Sports' NBA All-Star Weekend coverage from Feb. 13-15, Maria Taylor will step in as *Olympic Late Night* host in Milan on Feb. 10, after she covers the Super Bowl.

Guthrie had been scheduled to host the opening ceremony with Gannon, but had to drop out of her duties as she focuses on being with her family as the search for her mother continues. Guthrie's *Today* cohost Craig Melvin, who was scheduled to host *Olympic Late Night* from Milan, is also no longer traveling to the Games.

"Our hearts go out to Savannah and the entire Guthrie family. They continue to have our full support," Molly Solomon, executive producer/President of NBC Olympics Production, said in a statement. "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.... 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."

Guthrie, 54, was due to be in Italy for the start of the Olympics on Friday. But following news that her elderly mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, has been reported missing in Tucson, Ariz., the longtime *Today* anchor stepped away from her hosting duties. She skipped Monday's broadcast of *Today*, and has been in Arizona as of Monday to aid with the search.

"Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time," an NBC Sports spokesperson tells ** on Tuesday. "Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother."

No suspect identified in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance despite reports, sheriff says

Investigation into Savannah Guthrie's missing mom Nancy has 'hundreds of leads,' sheriff says

Authorities said that Nancy was last seen on the night of Jan. 31 outside her home in Tucson. She was reported missing the following day, after a friend from church alerted Nancy's adult children that she'd missed morning service. When they arrived at her home and could not find her, Nancy's kids contacted the police to report her missing.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos announced in a Sunday press conference that the scene at Nancy’s house was "very concerning," noting that law enforcement was prompted to act urgently. The efforts to locate Nancy included airplanes, drones, helicopters, and search-and-rescue dogs on loan from Border Patrol. Hospitals in the area were contacted as well, but none reported seeing her.

Savannah Guthrie with her mother, Nancy Guthrie.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

On Monday morning, Nanos announced that Nancy's disappearance is being investigated as a crime. He also shared that her Tucson home had been declared a crime scene due to circumstances that detectives deemed "suspicious in nature." He also denied Nancy's disappearance as "dementia-related," stating that "she’s as sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off." He also added that police are not aware of any specific threats to Guthrie that might be related to her mother’s disappearance.

The family and authorities are especially concerned about locating Nancy quickly because she has been separated from her daily medication, the sheriff also said, adding that she is "in need of medication" and it "could be fatal" if she does not take her meds within 24 hours.

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On Tuesday, Nanos shared an update that his office was working with the FBI to aggressively pursue "hundreds of leads" in the missing persons case. "We do believe that Nancy was taken from her home against her will, and that's where we're at," he said.

On Wednesday, the Nanos shot down reports of "unverified accusations," sharing that "no suspect or person of interest has been identified at this time."**

Live coverage of the Opening Ceremony begins Friday at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, with primetime coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT, on NBC and Peacock.

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