Craig Melvin got a surprise visit from his family on his first day as a co-anchor for TODAY.
An overwhelmed Craig wiped away tears as his wife, Lindsay Czarniak, and their children, Delano, 10, and Sybil, 8, walked onto the set. They were followed by Craig’s parents, Lawrence and Betty Jo, and his brother Ryan.
“When I left this morning, you were all in bed!” Craig exclaimed.
“We faked it,” Lindsay said, with a laugh.
Craig’s son, Delano, who was dressed for the occasion in a suit, took a seat right next to his dad in Studio 1A.
“Oh, you got a microphone, buddy,” Craig said, to which Delano proudly replied, “I’m professional!”
Craig has been with NBC News for nearly 14 years, and moved into the co-anchor seat alongside Savannah Guthrie following Hoda Kotb’s departure.
“It’s surreal, and to me, it symbolizes belief because you know, you dare to dream a dream and then to see it actually come true, it makes me think about a spouse making it to the Super Bowl, or like, the game-winning catch. That’s what this feels like,” Lindsay shared on Jan. 13.
Craig’s mom, Betty Jo, was also bubbling with excitement.
“I have butterflies in my stomach today,” Betty Jo said. She then praised Craig for “always doing his very best.”
“He deserves this,” she said, as an emotional Craig dabbed at his eyes. “I love you.”
Later in the show, Betty Jo shared old photos and recalled how as a little boy, Craig would go to church and then reenact the preacher’s sermon afterward.
“We didn’t know if he was going to be a preacher, a politician or a journalist,” Betty Jo joked.
At the end of the segment, Craig turned his attention to Sybil.
“Sweet girl, you didn’t say anything. Is there anything you wanted to say?” Craig asked.
“No!” Sybil quipped. “Del stole what I was going to say.”
It was a morning filled with special surprises, including a pre-recorded message from Hoda, who celebrated her last show on Jan. 19.
“Craig-or!” Hoda said. “It’s your first day. 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, because, first of all, you’re going to be fantastic.”
“Go get ‘em, Craig. You’ve got this!” Hoda added.
