In a significant last-minute change to its broadcast lineup, NBC has announced that veteran Olympics broadcaster Mary Carillo will step in to replace Savannah Guthrie as co-host for the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in Italy. This decision comes as Guthrie remains in the United States due to the ongoing search for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie.
Unexpected Host Change Casts Shadow Over Olympic Coverage
The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, which investigators believe involved her being taken from her Arizona home against her will, has created an unexpected cloud over what was anticipated to be a major television event for NBC. The network had originally scheduled Savannah Guthrie to co-host the opening ceremony alongside Terry Gannon, but her travel to Italy was cancelled following her mother's disappearance.
Carillo Brings Extensive Olympic Experience to the Role
Mary Carillo is no stranger to Olympic broadcasting, with these Winter Games marking her impressive seventeenth Olympic assignment. NBC highlighted her deep connection to the event, noting she has previously hosted closing ceremonies at three separate Olympic Games: Salt Lake City in 2002, Beijing in 2008, and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Additionally, Carillo brings personal familiarity with Italy, having lived in Milan for two years during her childhood.
Carillo will now join Terry Gannon in co-hosting the opening ceremony broadcast this Friday, bringing her considerable expertise to what remains one of broadcast television's most reliable audience draws. The Olympics continue to stand alongside events like the Super Bowl—which NBC is also scheduled to televise this weekend—as rare programming that consistently attracts massive viewership in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
Additional Changes to NBC's Olympic Broadcast Team
The host substitutions extend beyond the opening ceremony. Craig Melvin, Guthrie's co-host on the "Today" show, has also cancelled his travel to Italy. He was originally scheduled to host late-night Olympics broadcasts early next week, and will be replaced in that role by Ahmed Fareed.
Meanwhile, the story of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has received extensive coverage across multiple news outlets. While NBC News has aggressively reported on the developing situation, it was also the lead story on ABC's "World News Tonight" on Tuesday, indicating widespread media attention to this personal tragedy affecting one of television's prominent figures.
The combination of a high-profile personal crisis and the logistical challenges of major event broadcasting has created a complex situation for NBC as it prepares to deliver coverage of one of the world's premier sporting events.
