Craig Melvin is stepping into a new role at Today after being part of the morning show family since 2018.
After Hoda Kotb announced her departure from Today in September 2024, Melvin was named as the morning show’s new coanchor alongside Savannah Guthrie. Melvin gushed in November 2024 that he is “beyond excited and grateful” to be taking over for Kotb.
“I want to, obviously, thank NBC and the folks here who deemed me worthy,” he said at the time. “I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings, and this is the latest in a long line of blessings.”
News of Melvin’s new role was well-received in the office, a source exclusively told Us Weekly. “Craig is so awesome, people were cheering when they got the staff email,” an insider said. “He’s the best – everybody is so excited for him.”
The source added that Melvin made sense as a replacement for Kotb. “He has been ‘Steady Eddie’ for seven years – alongside Savannah and Hoda,” the insider added. “It was the right choice, the clear choice, the choice that everybody could get behind. He is so beloved.”
Scroll down for what to know about Melvin’s first day as a Today coanchor:
When Is Craig Melvin’s 1st Day as Today Coanchor?
Days after Kotb’s final appearance as a coanchor on Today, Melvin will begin his new role alongside Guthrie on Monday, January 13.
“Craig, I mean, I’m so happy for you,” Kotb said through tears on the Friday, January 10, episode of Today. “You’ve earned this. You own this. And come Monday at 7:00 a.m., I’m going to be dead asleep but you’re going to be fantastic. You are going to bring it home. Craig, you’re going to be so good.”
Will Craig Melvin Continue to Cohost the 3rd Hour?
Prior to following in Kotb’s footsteps, Melvin served as a news anchor on the show’s first and second hours. He also was a third hour cohost alongside Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer — a position he will continue to hold.
Is Craig Melvin Cohosting the 4th Hour?
Melvin will not be taking over as cohost of the fourth hour alongside Jenna Bush Hager. While the show finds a replacement for Kotb, the fourth hour will be renamed as Today With Jenna & Friends and will feature a lineup of rotating guest cohosts.
How Much Is Craig Melvin Making as Today Coanchor?
A separate insider exclusively estimated to Us in November 2024 that Melvin will make around “$5 or $6 million” in his new gig.
