Craig Melvin to replace Hoda Kotb as ‘Today’ show coanchor
Craig Melvin's first day on the desk is Jan. 13.
Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb as cohost of NBC’s Today show’s third hour.
The news comes on the heels of Kotb’s emotional announcement in September that she was exiting her role after six years anchoring Today and more than two decades on air to prioritize time with her family.
» READ MORE: Hoda Kotb is leaving the ‘Today’ show: ‘I will miss you all’
“I am beyond excited and grateful,” an emotional Melvin said. “I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings and this is the latest in a long line of blessings.”
Kotb called Melvin, who has been with Today since 2018, “the right person” for the gig and “literally made for this job.”
The plan is for Kotb to stay on Today as a coanchor until Jan. 10, which she’s calling “party day.”
Here’s what else you need to know.
Who is Craig Melvin?
Melvin, 45, is a broadcast journalist and anchor for NBC and MSNBC.
He works on the Today show and fills in as a substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News.
He attended Wofford College in South Carolina, where he grew up, and majored in government studies.
He’s married to sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak and the pair live in Connecticut with their two children.
How long has Craig Melvin been with NBC?
Melvin’s time at NBC started early in his career — in a way. When he was in high school in 1995, he joined his local NBC affiliate, WIS-TV, in Columbia, S.C., as a high school reporter.
“I would not be where I am right now had it not been for that,” he told the Columbia Metropolitan.
After graduating from Wofford, he returned to WIS-TV in 2001, working as a photographer and producer before becoming a reporter. He was eventually promoted to weekend news anchor.
His career took him from South Carolina to D.C. and eventually to MSNBC, where he served as a daytime anchor and began working with NBC. His career has spanned coverage of politicos, the Olympics, and other major news events, including court trials. He joined the Today show in 2018.
When will Craig Melvin take over for Hoda Kotb?
Both Melvin and Kotb work on the Today show’s third hour. Melvin will take over as cohost alongside Savannah Guthrie starting Jan. 13.