Savannah Guthrie will host Wordle TV game show

Fallon, according to the NBC press release, said the Wordle show would be “a solid gamer for prime time”.

He said: “I feel very honored to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show. 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.”

Utas president Toby Gorman said Guthrie would bring “the perfect blend of warmth and wit” to a television version of the game in which players must find a five-letter word in six or fewer guesses.

In its article on Monday confirming the deal, the newspaper said it was “the first instance of the Times associating itself with a prime-time entertainment program on a major broadcaster”.

It said it had previously collaborated with cable and streaming channels on documentary series based on its journalism.

“That The Times is co-producing a half-hour variety show where contestants compete for a cash prize reflects in part the company’s diversification in recent years,” it said, adding that its games app – featuring daily crosswords, Spelling Bee, and Wordle – is among its most popular products.

Guthrie has spoken often and movingly about the pain she and her family have suffered since her mother’s disappearance. In an emotional Mother’s Day post on Instagram on Sunday, the presenter said: “We miss you with every breath. We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you.”

Guthrie told the Times that Wordle had been a point of connection between her and her mother – and that in December she showed Nancy Guthrie the show’s pilot.

“Everything is strange right now,” 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.

“Nothing about that has changed, and it’s not easy. But I’m determined to put one foot in front of the other. And this is a joyous thing.”