Craig’s first day as co-anchor on TODAY has wrapped up after three hours of a a show filled with tearful tributes, surprise appearances, special gifts and plenty of laughs.
Next up is the debut of “Jenna & Friends,” as Jenna Bush Hager does her first show without Hoda Kotb. Luckily she has Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson as a special guest co-host!
Craig’s favorite NFL team – the Washington Commanders – gave him a special gift
Fresh off their first NFL playoff win in 20 seasons, the Washington Commanders honored one of their superfans on his big day by gifting Craig a special jersey.
Craig, who grew up as a Washington fan as a kid in South Carolina, unwrapped a No. 25 Commanders jersey on the third hour of TODAY. The team sent it to commemorate his first year as co-anchor in 2025.
“I’m going to wear it when they win this weekend,” Craig said.
Craig and Savannah got a behind-the-scenes look at the NBC Sunday Night Football broadcast as the Commanders won a 23-20 thriller over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night for their first playoff win since the 2005 season.
The Commanders advanced to face the NFC’s top seed, the Detroit Lions, in the divisional round of the playoffs on Jan. 18.
A toast to Craig — and his parents
During the 9 a.m. hour, Craig’s family joined the show once again. This time, they went over a few highlights (read: slightly embarrassing photos) from Craig’s past.
Craig and his wife, kids, brother and parents raised their glasses to this moment along with Dylan, Savannah and Al. “It’s non-alcoholic,” Dylan said, after making sure.
But rather than take the toast for himself, Craig dedicated it to his parents.
Craig greets friends and family standing in the Plaza
Craig walked around the Plaza naming his loved ones, and how they came into his life, one by one.
Among them? Craig’s friends from childhood — including one from when he was 4 years old and another from middle school; his wife’s friends and parents; and his friends from church.
Craig reflects on being inspired by TODAY’s Bryant Gumbel and Al Roker
Craig has previously talked about how growing up and watching former TODAY co-anchor Bryant Gumbel inspired him to believe he could one day reach the same position as a Black broadcaster.
Carson Daly asked Craig on TODAY what it’s like for him to now be in the position to inspire a generation of his own.
“I see what you’ve said about how when you were young and watched Bryant (Gumbel), seeing somebody who looks like yourself,” Carson said. “Do you ever think now there’s some young person out there looking at you, and you’re going to be that beacon?”
“I actually hadn’t thought about that,” Craig replied. “Thank you. I hadn’t really thought about that. It does speak to the fact that when you see something, you can be something.”
Craig also spoke about another inspiring figure as a young Black broadcaster — TODAY weatherman Al Roker.
“I’ll tell you who else I grew up watching — this guy,” Craig said, pointing to Al.
“It’s wonderful seeing this baton being passed because I remember sitting here my first time and Bryant (Gumbel) said, ‘Anything you need, you let me know,'” Al said. “It’s that generosity that this show brings, and so I’m so happy.”
“Well, you’ve always been that generous with me, too, so I hope it doesn’t stop now,” Craig joked.
“No, never,” Al said.
Wofford College now has an official ‘Craig Melvin Day’!
Wofford College students surprised Craig on the Plaza on his first day as co-anchor. The president of the student union expresses how proud the college is of him — and proclaimed Jan. 13 is “Craig Melvin Day” at the liberal arts school.
The students then gathered Craig in a school song. Craig sang into the microphone. “Do we have time for the whole song?” he asked between lyrics. The answer? Yes.
Craig is a proud alum of the Spartanburg, South Carolina college. Craig, who graduated in 2001, has frequently shared his school pride on TODAY.
When he was named co-anchor, the college shared a video to its social media pages congratulating him, featuring videos of students holding photos of Craig. “Your Wofford family is proud of you,” the caption read.
Craig’s colleagues at NBC4 Washington call in
Craig’s colleagues from NBC4 Washington also gathered on camera congratulating him.
“That’s where it all started,” Craig remarked.
He and his wife met while working at the NBC affiliate.
Craig’s hometown residents surprise him — straight from his high school gymnasium
The camera panned to a crowded gymnasium full of family and friends gathered in Columbia High School in Columbia, South Carolina, Craig’s hometown. Among them? Craig’s middle school principal, Dr. Carlos Smith.
“This is special,” Craig remarked, looking at the crowd.
Surprise! Craig’s family joins him for an emotional moment on his first day as co-anchor
Craig wiped away tears as his wife, children, parents and brother surprised him on TODAY to celebrate a proud moment for the Melvin family.
Craig’s wife, Lindsay Czarniak, and their children, Delano, 10, and Sybil, 8, were there to cheer on dad in person on what Lindsay called a “surreal” day.
“What makes me so proud is just the person that Melvin is and understanding it’s the kindness and how genuine he is, so we’re just excited and pumped,” Lindsay said.
Craig was also joined on the show by his parents, Betty Jo and Lawrence Melvin, and his younger brother, Ryan Melvin, who flew up from South Carolina for the special moment.”I had butterflies in my stomach today,” Betty Jo said. “He has proven to me and everybody else that he has done his very best, and he deserves this. We love you.”
Hoda Kotb shares a message of encouragement and a surprise letter for Craig
Craig got a message from an unexpected visitor: Hoda Kotb. The departed anchor spoke to Craig in a pre-recorded video, revealing she has a surprise for him.
“Craigor! It’s your first day. OK? How does it feel? First of all I’m so proud of you and I wanted to let you know just how proud of you I am. First of all, you’re going to be fantastic,” Hoda said in the video.
She also revealed she had a surprise for him.
“I’m going to write it down. I’m going to write Craig a little letter and put it in a secret hiding place because I want you to open it on your very first day,” Hoda said. “Savannah knows where the secret hiding place is because she knows all.”
Savannah presented Craig with the letter, which proceeded in rhymes. Then came another surprise — his family, including his parents.
Inside Craig’s journey on TODAY
The 8 a.m. hour of TODAY aired a tribute to Craig’s journey and his special brand of magic: “That ability to move us from laughter to tears and back again,” as Savannah said.
When the video was finished, Craig teared up. Carson Daly quipped, “No wonder you got the job.”
Craig joined the 3rd hour of TODAY in 2018, following three years as a weekend TODAY co-anchor and time with both NBC News and MSNBC.
When the news was announced, he tweeted, “Dreams come true. So excited to join the @TODAYshow family.”
Six years later, he would be announced as co-anchor.
First day as co-anchor! Craig channels his kids in this ‘back to school’ pic
Remember that September feeling? It may be January, but Craig is feeling like class is in session again.
He posted a photo in the style of the “first day of school” photos popular on social media. Standing behind the desk in Studio 1A and beaming, Craig held a sign that said, “First day as TODAY co-anchor.”
The photo echoes the one of his kids, Sybil and Delano, earlier this year.
As the 8 a.m. starts, the camera shows South Carolinians on the Plaza
The camera panned to capture crowds at the Plaza. Among them? Many supporters holding Craig signs and wearing Wofford College gear, Craig’s alma mater.
“It’s good to see some people made the trip up from God’s country,” Craig said. He’s previously shared his nickname for his home state.
Craig shares his ‘nervous excitement’ with wife Lindsay Czarniak before the big day
Lindsay Czarniak shared a quintessential Craig moment ahead of his big day with a video of her asking him how he was feeling the night before his first show as co-anchor.
“All right, one more sleep,” she says.
“What are we doing?” Craig deadpans.
“What are your thoughts and emotions?” Lindsay asks him.
“We’re not doing a video right now,” Craig asks.
“I’m just asking,” she says.
Craig then joked that his thoughts are, “I’m tired.”
“And?” Lindsay asked.
“I’m tired. Oh, you mean the nervous excitement?” he said.
“That’s how you’re describing it?” she asked.
“Yeah, I can go with nervous excitement. I traffic in truth. That’s accurate.”
Lindsay also wrote in the caption that the family is “beyond excited” and said Craig is “simply the best.”
Watch Craig’s first moments as TODAY co-anchor
A TODAY co-anchor is born! Cameras captured footage of Savannah and Craig sitting together before the show began.
‘Made for this moment’: Savannah and Craig reflect on their new partnship to Mike Tirico
Savannah and Craig traveled to Tampa, Florida, for a conversation with NBC Sports broadcaster Mike Tirico and reflected on this moment.
“This has to be the smoothest transition ever,” Tirico remarked.
Savannah agreed. “I’ll tell you why. He was elected by a super, super, super majority. He was the consensus choice. I’d say it was never really a choice. It was obvious,” she said.
“He is absolutely made for this job and for this moment,” she continued.
Tirico said when an assistant coach becomes a head coach, you “move over one chair,” and it feels “very different.” He asked if that’s how Craig felt.
“Hopefully it’s not going to be that much different. I’ll get up a little earlier. Hoda gave me some advice. If you start changing things, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Who you’ve been and what you’ve done has gotten you to where you are. I’m going to show up earlier. I’m going to bring Savannah a cup of coffee every morning,” he said. “I think that’s all I can do.”
Tirico asked each of them what makes the other one special.
Craig said he got to realize how funny Savannah is, and said her comments leave him in “stitches.”
Savannah’s favorite thing about Craig is his “warmth, kindness and goodness.”
“Craig is an original. He’s cool.”
Craig Melvin says he’ll answer fan questions today: Ask him anything!
Any TODAY fans who have any questions for Craig on his first day as co-anchor, fire away.
Craig put out the call on Instagram for fans to ask him anything, and he plans to answer as many questions as he can.
Some of the things TODAY fans want to know, based on the comments:
“Did you have to make a lot of changes in your personal/family life to accommodate this new position?”
“What motivates you?”
“What’s your hobbies? Things you like to do besides work?”
“What made you want to get into the TV industry?”
Dawn Staley, head coach for South Carolina Gamecocks says, ‘Stand up South Carolina!’
“Me up anxiously waiting the debut of our very own and SC finest @craigmelvin,” South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team head coach Dawn Staley wrote on X. “STAND UP SOUTH CAROLINA. TUNE IN.”
Retweeting that tweet, an X user added, “Same. I just sent a “I’m gonna be late because I’m watching Craig Melvin on the Today show’ text.”
Last April, Craig posted photos of his family attending a Gamecocks game, shouting out Staley.
‘Melvinators to the front!’ Craig’s supporters cheer him on
Craig’s fans and followers came to the comments of TODAY’s social media pages to cheer him on ahead of his first day.
“Craig you got this!! We all love you!” one commenter wrote on this post.
“Melvinators to the front!” another said.
“Great for Craig @craigmelvinnbc to be seen and recognized,” read another comment said.
The mini pep talks kept coming: “Craig, you are going to be fantastic — you already have been. Sending you good wishes for your first day. Go kill it!”
“This was a home run choice,” one “Melvinator” concluded.
The first day of co-anchoring begins!
The clock has struck 7 a.m. ET which means Savannah and Craig have officially begun their tenure as TODAY co-anchors.
“Craig’s TODAY show ride is heading in an exciting new direction today. Our new TODAY co-anchor kicks off his run,” Savannah said in the intro.
The camera panned to Savannah and Craig sitting side-by-side in 1A.
“You’ve sat there so many times but this morning is special. Let’s go, this is going to be a beautiful ride,” Savannah said, turning to Craig.
He responded, “And there’s no one I would rather ride with than you, so let’s do this.”
Craig’s wife, Lindsay Czarniak, shares words of support
On Saturday, Jan. 11, Craig’s wife Lindsay Czarniak took to Instagram to reflect on this moment for her family and how she’s adjusted in the lead-up.
“I loved watching all the tributes to Hoda Kotb on her last day. I adore Hoda. She’s so genuine and she truly is the person you see on TV in real life. I think what she’s done is super inspiring,” Lindsay said.
“I’m equally excited for Melvin to take over Hoda’s role on Monday. It is still crazy surreal,” she said.
On her end, she’s using this moment as a way to “reset some things” in her house – particularly morning and evening routines.
The week before Craig started his new role, she tried to wake up at 5:30 a.m. every day and have everyone go to sleep earlier. “I was exhausted but I found it was really great because it allowed me to be ready when my kids woke up,” she said, adding that she was inspired by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s book and his “coffee lap” strategy.
According to Lindsay, who is a sportscaster, Tomlin gets his “business” done by an early hour so he can take his cup of coffee and have a moment of mindfulness, considering the day to come. She’s embracing that approach.
Craig and Savannah break down in laughter posing for pics together
The weekend leading up to his first day, Craig posted a video of him and Savannah posing for some promotional shots, showing off their natural chemistry.
In the video, the photographer asks the pair to pose with “big wide open eyes.” They turn to each other and laugh.
Craig and Savannah headed to Tampa yesterday: ‘What better way by the way to spend the day before the first day of school?’
Craig and Savannah had a weekend getaway before his first day on the job. They headed to Tampa to interview Mike Tirico, the play-by-play announcer on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, about the football season.
Craig posted photos from Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Washington Commanders in the playoffs, ultimately losing 23-20.
In a taped spot that aired during halftime, Craig spoke about about traveling the day before Day One as co-anchor. “What better way by the way to spend the day before the first day of school?” he said.
“I’m beyond excited. I am stoked,” he added. “We know what the TODAY show has meant to this country for so many years and to be a part of that franchise and to be a part of that history and to do it sitting next to the big sister I never had every morning — dreams come true.”
“It’s going to be momentous for Craig, but also for us,” Savannah said. “We have so much gratitude that the perfect person for this job has been sitting right one chair over for the past seven years. It’s beautiful. We’ve got a couple surprises for you.”
Craig’s biggest cheerleader? Hoda Kotb
Craig is taking over the spot left vacant by Hoda Kotb, who shared she would be leaving TODAY after 26 years at NBC News back in September. She said she wants to spend more time with her daughters, Hope and Haley, whom she welcomed later in life. Her 60th birthday celebration on TODAY solidified her decision.
When Craig was announced as her replacement in November 2024, Hoda shared words of encouragement.
“You are literally made for this job,” Hoda told Craig the day his role was announced. “You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it.”
During her sendoff on Jan. 10, Craig said in a tribute that he would take Hoda up on her offer for pep talks every now and then.
“Craig, you’re going to do so good. You and Savannah are going to be magic,” Hoda told Craig the same day.
The two filmed a cute video for TODAY’s Instagram along the themes of passing the torch.
How Craig’s co-hosts responded to his new role
Craig’s new role was publicly announced Nov. 14 and was met with support from his coworkers.
Savannah, his new co-anchor, described how TODAY staffers reacted behind-the-scenes.
“The larger staff found out this morning, and people broke into applause,” Savannah said. “This is one of the most popular decisions NBC News has ever made. Congratulations.”
Hoda said he was “made for this job.”
Al, meanwhile, said he predicted this for Craig.
“I knew that this day would come,” Al said. “I am so proud and so happy for you right now because you are so worthy of this. I almost don’t have the words.”
“I love you, thank you,” an emotional Craig responded.
How to watch Craig Melvin’s first day on TODAY
Craig Melvin steps into the co-anchor chair on Monday, Jan. 13.
He will co-anchor alongside Savannah Guthrie in the 7 and 8 a.m. hours, then will continue to co-host the 3rd hour with Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones.
Tune in to NBC to catch his first broadcast.
Elena Nicolaou
Elena Nicolaou is a senior entertainment editor at TODAY.com, where she covers the latest in TV, pop culture, movies and all things streaming. Her superpower is matching people up with the perfect book.
Experience
Previously, she covered culture at Refinery29 and Oprah Daily.
Education
Elena Nicolaou got her bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Modern Greek Studies from Columbia University.
