The Today Show stars are wracked with guilt for bitching about Savannah Guthrie before this nightmare broke out! This week, Savannah has been absent from her NBC morning show as the search for her 84-year-old mother Nancy continues. It's a heartbreaking situation that her TV star friends have been covering extensively. But it's also not the first time she's had to step away from work for personal reasons this year. Just weeks ago, Savannah was off-air to recover from a vocal cord surgery - and apparently, her co-stars weren't treating her absence so kindly behind the scenes! Related: Nancy Guthrie's Alleged Captor Said She's 'OK, But Scared' A source for DailyMail.com told them last month during the absence that "the vibe shifted" without her: "Without Savannah [on air], the vibe shifted immediately. It stopped feeling like a classroom and started feeling like a group of equals. She naturally takes charge, but when she's gone, everyone else finally breathes. It feels more collaborative, more relaxed. The show feels warmer." The show earned 12% more views for the week spanning the end of December to the beginning of January while Savannah was absent, compared to the same seven days a year before. Was that a result of the news cycle or her absence?? Well, her co-stars seemed to think it was her! Colleagues told the outlet she was "trying to laugh off" the ratings, but was secretly "in full panic mode" and eager to return. She was back on air less than a week before her mom's disappearance. Oof. Now, everyone on the NBC staff that was relishing in her absence feels like s**t! One source told the outlet on Thursday: "A tragic situation like this is a wakeup call." They furthered: "It makes you see someone in a totally different light - not the hard-driving ambitious TV star but a vulnerable frightened woman who is in the middle of a nightmare. We are all hurting for Savannah. We know how much she adores her mother, you could see how genuine her devotion is when she brought Nancy to the show." With her gone this time, there's no gossiping about her. Instead, they're uniting behind her as they all hope for a speedy return of Nancy. Another source explained this has really humanized Savannah: "It isn't easy being Savannah. She's beautiful, rich, has a great life. People resent that. Then something like this happens and your world coming crashing down. It makes us regret b****ing about her. When all is said and done, she's a good person and you can see how devastated she is." Addressing the video Savannah and her siblings released, begging the alleged writer of a ransom note to come forward and share proof of life of their mother, the source added: "That video was just heartbreaking." Truly. Nobody would wish this crisis on their worst enemy. It's absolutely horrific. This situation with the Today cast is a great reminder to just be kind. You never know what someone is - or could about to be - going through. Kindness goes a long way. A tip line has been set up: see HERE. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie, and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. [Image via NBC/YouTube] The post <i>Today Show</i> Cast Has Big 'Regret' Over How They Handled Savannah Guthrie's Recent Surgery Absence Before Mom's Abduction: 'Wakeup Call' appeared first on Perez Hilton.