Hoda Kotb & Craig Melvin Had a Must-See Moment After His Big TODAY News (VIDEO)
Melvin is joining Savannah Guthrie at the anchor desk starting January 13, following Kotb's last day on January 10.
Get ready to start your mornings with even more Craig Melvin.
The TODAY host is getting a new job, but don't worry, he's not leaving the long-running morning news program. He will be the new co-anchor of the 7 to 8 a.m. hour of TODAY.
Melvin will be joining Savannah Guthrie at the anchor desk starting Monday, January 13. He'll take over for Hoda Kotb, who previously announced she would be leaving TODAY in early 2025, and has now revealed that Friday, January 10 will be her last day.
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Melvin became a news anchor on TODAY in 2018, and he currently co-hosts the third hour of TODAY alongside Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones, and Dylan Dreyer. He'll host three straight hours of TODAY once he becomes co-anchor on January 13.
"Let me just say that the staff found out this morning, and people broke into applause. This is one of the most popular decisions NBC News has ever made," Guthrie said on the November 14 broadcast of TODAY.
"I am beyond excited and grateful. I've had a lot of conversations yesterday with a lot of people who mean a lot to me, and I just wanted obviously thank NBC and the folks here who have deemed me worthy," remarked Melvin. "I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings and this is the latest in a long line of blessings."
In a sweet, must-see video captured after the on-air announcement, Kotb was seen celebrating and hugging Melvin as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Craig, you were made for this job. You were literally made for this job. You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You are the right person for it," Kotb told Melvin.
“We are beyond thrilled to have Craig step into the co-anchor chair. We are beyond thrilled to have Craig step into the co-anchor chair. He’s been an integral and beloved part of our family," Libby Leist, senior vice president of TODAY said in a statement to staff. "From breaking news coverage in the field, to presidential interviews, to multiple Olympics and Super Bowls, Craig’s shown he has the talent and the range to cover all that we do here at TODAY. And he does it without ever losing that Southern charm."
RELATED: Every TODAY Anchor's Reaction to Hoda Kotb's Shocking Announcement
Melvin's move to 7 a.m. isn't the only change in store for TODAY. The fourth hour, currently hosted by Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, will debut as TODAY with Jenna & Friends on January 13, and will feature a rotating cast of fill-in co-hosts until a permanent co-host is named.
Melvin ended the segment announcing his news by being grateful for his NBC family, saying, "Thank you for the opportunity... I'll try not to screw it up."
