Heartbroken American TV host Savannah Guthrie will present a new game show based on Wordle that will be filmed in Manchester and aired in the US from next year.
It comes after the 54-year-old said she had bonded over the ‘beloved’ puzzle game with her mother Nancy, who vanished without a trace earlier this year and is yet to be found.
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 Ms Guthrie will present host alongside Jimmy Fallon, 51, marks her first new presenting role since her return to the 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 soon acquired by the NYT a year later.
Players work to identify a random five-letter word with six guesses and help from color-coordinated boxes. Wordle – the digital version – reached 5.3billion plays in 2024.
Savannah Guthrie, 54, and Jimmy Fallon, 51, announced the new Wordle game show on NBC Monday’s Today show
Nancy Guthrie, 84, (right) went missing on January 31 and has not been found
From June, 30-minute episodes will be filmed in Manchester and broadcast in the US next year.
Ms Guthrie announced on Monday’s ‘Today’ show that she will host the TV adaptation alongside Mr Fallon, 51.
A series of quick clips of Ms Guthrie hosting the programme were played as it was revealed the show has been in development for two-and-a-half years.
Mr 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.’
Mr Fallon played the game live on-air back in 2022. He will produce alongside the Times and Universal Television Alternative Studio.
Ms 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.
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Guthrie will serve as host when the show is broadcast next year. A series of clips were played to tease the looming release
Ms Guthrie made her return to NBC in April after stepping away during the initial months of the search
That day, the pensioner was ‘taken in the dark of night from her bed’, said her daughter. It was the last time she was seen.
However potential clues, such as photos of the suspected kidnapper and DNA tests on gloves that were found near the scene, have led investigators to a dead end.
Ms Guthrie, ‘a passionate Wordle player’ herself, told the NYT that she had bonded with her mother over the game and that she had 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.
Ms Guthrie, ‘a passionate Wordle player’ herself, told the NYT that she had bonded with her mother over the game and that she had shared her scores with friends
The show will challenge players to solve five-letter word puzzles similar to the Times’ app and website. Players work to identify a random five-letter word with six guesses and aid from color-coordinated boxes
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, the president and chief executive officer 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.’
