Grieving American TV host Savannah Guthrie will present a new game show based on Wordle, which will be filmed in Manchester and aired in the United States from next year. The 54-year-old said she bonded over the beloved puzzle game with her mother Nancy, who vanished without a trace earlier this year and remains missing.
The New York Times (NYT), which owns the rights to Wordle, announced on Monday that the primetime series 'brings Wordle to television in a fresh, fast-paced format'. The show 'builds on how people already experience the game, solving together, sharing results and comparing strategies, and brings that dynamic to life in a new, shared format'.
The programme, which Guthrie will host alongside Jimmy Fallon, 51, marks her first new presenting role since her return to US broadcaster NBC last month. She had taken a break after her mother, 84, disappeared in January.
Created by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle to entertain his girlfriend during the Covid-19 pandemic, the popular puzzle game was launched in 2021 and acquired by the NYT a year later. Players work to identify a random five-letter word with six guesses and help from colour-coordinated boxes. Wordle reached 5.3 billion plays in 2024.
From June, 30-minute episodes will be filmed in Manchester and broadcast in the US next year. Guthrie announced on Monday's 'Today' show that she will host the TV adaptation alongside Fallon. A series of quick clips of Guthrie hosting the programme were played as it was revealed the show has been in development for two-and-a-half years.
Fallon said: 'Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm, and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome. And she obviously knows how to host a show. I am super proud and happy and I think we developed a solid gamer for prime-time.' Fallon played the game live on air in 2022. He will produce alongside the Times and Universal Television Alternative Studio.
Guthrie's 84-year-old mother remains missing after she was allegedly taken against her will. She was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of January 31 and is believed to have been abducted. That day, the pensioner was 'taken in the dark of night from her bed', said her daughter. However, potential clues, such as photos of the suspected kidnapper and DNA tests on gloves found near the scene, have led investigators to a dead end.
Guthrie, a passionate Wordle player herself, told the NYT that she had bonded with her mother over the game and shared her scores with friends. She stepped away from NBC at the start of the search for her mother but returned to the Today set last month. The presenter told the NYT that the arrangement has been 'strange' as she spoke about how she plans to approach the new project. She said: 'It's strange to get up and do the Today show every day, and it's strange to say that I'm going to do a game show when your heart is broken. But I'm determined to put one foot in front of the other. And this is a joyous thing.'
The show will be the first time the NYT has put its name on a primetime programme on network television. It will see players solve five-letter word puzzles through a series of trials similar to the game it bought for an undisclosed seven-figure sum in 2022. Contestants will compete in teams for cash.
Meredith Kopit Levien, president and CEO of The New York Times Company, said: 'Wordle has become a defining daily experience for millions and a meaningful part of how people engage with The New York Times. In bringing it to television, we were intentional about finding partners to collaborate with who could both scale the experience and stay true to the beloved game. NBC, Jimmy Fallon and his team bring that expertise, and Savannah Guthrie's talent and connection to the game makes her an ideal host. It reflects our broader approach of creating experiences people return to and share every day.'
