Smash-hit word game Wordle is to become a TV quiz show, hosted by US Today show presenter Savannah Guthrie.

NBC announced the TV show on Monday (US time), saying it was expected to air in primetime and would challenge contestants to solve five-letter word puzzles in a “supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun”.

Australian-born Guthrie is described as an “avid” Wordle player. She is probably best-known in the country of her birth for her heart-wrenching search for her missing 84-year-old mother Nancy, who was apparently kidnapped from her Arizona home on February 1 and has not been seen since.

Guthrie has previously admitted she believes Nancy is no longer alive but said she wouldn’t give up the search until she could bring her mother home.

“We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day.

“We need help. Someone knows something that can make the difference. Call 1800CALLFBI. You can be anonymous, and the reward remains available. Please keep praying. Bring her home.”

Guthrie has previously said she had accepts Nancy is no longer alive after receiving a message from a higher power.

“Early on, I felt that I heard, one of the very few times in my life, I did hear God speak to me,” she tearfully told her Today show colleague Hoda Kotb.

“As I said to myself: ‘I can handle anything. I just can’t handle not knowing … I have to know’. And I heard a voice and it said: ‘You do know where she is. She’s with me’.

“So whether she’s on this Earth still or whether she’s in heaven, I know where she is. I know who she’s with. But we need to know.”

Guthrie told The New York Times that Wordle was among the ways she connected with her mother.

“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,” she said.

“But I’m determined to put one foot in front of the other. And this is a joyous thing.”

How Wordle will come to TV

Wordle was invented by New York City software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021 and quickly became incredibly popular.

It grew from just 90 players in late November 2021 to two million by mid-2022. The growth was enough for The NY Times to reportedly pay Wardle a “seven-figure sum” to buy the game, which is played by millions of people a day worldwide.

Put simply, Wordle players have six chances to work out a mystery five-letter word. After each guess, the colour of the letter squares changes to show how close the attempt was to the mystery word.

It is designed to be played just once a day, with the same word for all players, anywhere in the world.

NBC said the TV format would challenge players to solve five-letter word puzzles in a “supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun”.

“The New York Times word game has been played billions of times, and our goal is to create an equally addictive show. Savannah brings the perfect blend of warmth and wit to deliver exactly that,” said Toby Gorman, the president of Universal Television Alternative Studio, which will produce the TV version.

“We’re eager, happy, giddy – all of those five-letter words and more – to bring Wordle to life for television.”

Comic and TV host Jimmy Fallon, who is also involved through his Electric Hot Dog production company, said he was honoured to be working with Guthrie.

“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,” he said.

NBC said casting for the show was opening with production expected to begin later in 2026. It will air next year.