Almost two months have passed since Hoda Kotb revealed that she’d be departing the Today show. Now, it has been confirmed that her colleague Craig Melvin will take over her co-anchor role! Beginning in January, Melvin, 45, will star alongside Savannah Guthrie.
Both Kotb, 60, and the fans of the daytime television show shared favorable comments about her replacement, as shown by the reactions on social media after the November 14th announcement. On-air today, Kotb said to Melvin: “You are made for this job.” She gushed: “You are literally made for this job. You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it.”
Hoda Kotb And Fans Commend Craig Melvin And Share Their Excitement For His New ‘Today’ Role
Melvin sweetly replied: “It means a lot to inherit this from you. You helped save the show and to be able to sit next to someone who I knew was smart for years and all of a sudden you start working with her and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, she’s funny too!'”
The broadcaster is set to join Guthrie, 52, as co-anchor starting January 13th, right after Kotb’s final appearance on January 10th. Melvin presently co-hosts the third hour of Today with Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones, and Dylan Dreyer. In his new position, he will take on a consecutive three-hour hosting duty.
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During the on-air replacement announcement, Melvin said he thinks of both Kotb and Guthrie as the “sisters that I never knew that I needed.” Roker, 70, joined online to extend his congratulations to Melvin. He started by reminiscing about a moment they experienced together while covering the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“I knew this day would come,” Roker said. He added: “I am so proud and so happy for you right now. You are so worthy of this. I almost don’t have the words. I love you.” Melvin then paused to look back on his experiences and express gratitude to his fellow anchors.
"I am beyond excited and grateful," Melvin said. "I want to thank NBC and the folks here who deemed me worthy. And I have to start by thanking the man upstairs, thank you my Lord above and his son Jesus. I enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings and this is the latest in a long line of blessings. I talked to mom and dad yesterday and I'm grateful they're still young enough to see this and enjoy the fruits of their labor."
Melvin also recounted parts of his past, expressing admiration for his father, who had triumphed over a difficult start in life and addiction, calling him one of his "favorite human beings."
He also honored his mother, who took on an additional job and "sacrificed" to support the family. Melvin also expressed his gratitude to his children, Delano and Sybil, as well as to his wife Lindsay Czarniak, a sports broadcaster, for their unwavering support throughout the demanding hours of his work.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) have also been praising NBC's selection. One tweeted: "A great choice. Was hoping he would get it" as another added: "Craig is everything he appears to be and more. Excellent choice."
