CRAIG Melvin has revealed his Today show co-hosts are a “dysfunctional family” as stars came out to support Al Roker on the weatherman’s big night.
Craig Melvin, 43, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun during the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame awards where he honored Al Roker and revealed what a tight-knit work family he and his co-hosts are.
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Craig Melvin spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about the relationships behind the scene at the Today ShowCredit: The US Sun
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Craig was honoring Al Roker during the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame awards – was Dylan Dreyer was on hand for the big night as wellCredit: Getty
The anchorman, who co-hosted the event, said as he was getting ready to leave the Today studios when he heard Hoda Kotb shout to him for help from her dressing room.
“I hear Hoda scream out ‘Hey, hey! Are you in there? Can you zip me up?’ So I go and zip up her dress. And I asked her if she is walking over, (to the event) and she said ‘No, I have the heels, I’m taking the car, you want a ride?’ And I’m like ‘Sure, I’ll hop in!'”
Craig said the camaraderie fans see between the hosts of the NBC flagship morning show is the real deal.
“It’s a family. I think sometimes when people watch & listen they think it’s an act, they think it’s performative and it’s not.”
“We are a legit family. Sometimes we are dysfunctional, but we are family.”
The iconic newsman joked that he has several women in his life that have taken on what is akin to a spousal role.
“I have a lot of women I work with and my wife Lindsay (Czarnick) at home and I tell people it’s like I have 4 or 5 wives every day- for the good and the bad.”
HONORING A LEGEND
While Craig co-hosted, Hoda was also on hand to help usher Al, 68, into the exclusive Hall of Fame club.
Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer were also in attendance to honor the weatherman.
During the event, Craig and Al’s fun rapport was on full display.
Meanwhile Al’s wife, ABC News host Deborah Roberts, was also honored with her own induction into the Hall of Fame but was traveling on assignment, so Al accepted the award for her.
HALL OF FAMERS, AL & DEBORAH
Earlier this week the busy host dropped in to Live with Kelly and Mark and spoke about her marriage to Al.
The duo have been proclaimed the “cutest couple” by fans, and have been married for almost 28 years.
Deborah, 62, spoke about the beginning of their relationship.
She explained that they met when she started working at NBC, and Al, 68, approached her on her first day.
The pair quickly became friends, and Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos asked how the relationship moved from friendship to romance.
Deborah explained: “What happened was he wore me down with that sweet kindness.”
She added that when she went to cover the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, she asked the Today host to check in on her apartment to water her plants and collect her mail.
Mark piped in: “Very much in the friend zone,” to which Deborah agreed.
However, instead of simply doing the tasks given, Al went above and beyond, stocking her empty refrigerator and leaving flowers for her return.
Deborah admitted: “I went out with him after that.”
Kelly joked: “He took himself right out of the friend zone. He went directly into the husband zone!”
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The long-term couple has been married since 1995, and share two children – Leila, 24, and Nick, 20.
Al also has a daughter Courtney, 36, from a previous relationship.
The couple has been enjoying spending time together after Al’s health issues last year, during which Deborah worried that he wouldn’t make it to Christmas.
He was hospitalized twice for blood clots in his legs and lungs last year, and was absent from the morning show for nearly two months.
He tried to regain weight and strength after his hospital stays.
When Al finally returned to the morning show at the beginning of January, Deborah went back to work at the ABC newsroom as well.
He confessed: “Look, I had two complicating things. I had blood clots, which they think came up after I had Covid in September.
“And then I had this internal bleeding going on, I lost half my blood. They were trying to figure out where it was.”
Deborah’s husband joked that he “went in for one operation” and “got four for free.”
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Deborah Roberts and Al Roker at the 2022 New York Ballet Spring GalaCredit: Getty Images
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Craig co-hosted the evening in which Al was inducted into the Broadcasting +Cable Hall of FameCredit: Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame
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Craig joked that his co-hosts are like a big dysfunctional family, while speaking to The U.S. Sun at Wednesday night’s eventCredit: TikTok/@TODAYshow
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Hoda was also on hand during the event honoring her dear friend Al
