When it comes to interviews, Craig Melvin has talked to countless celebrities, athletes and public figures over the course of his career.
Now, as the new co-anchor of TODAY, he undoubtedly has plenty of conversations ahead of him in the months and years to come, and he shares with TODAY.com that as part of his new role, he hopes to “crisscross the country, telling stories.”
“I’ve never enjoyed being chained to a desk,” he says, explaining that he hopes to continue doing what he’s always done, which is lean into stories and topics he’s passionate about.
Coming up? A future trip to to Italy, where he’ll preview the 2026 Winter Olympics for starters, along with a host of other on-site interviews.
“I’m looking forward to traveling more and taking viewers and listeners and readers to places that they might not otherwise go,” he says.
Despite already having interviewed an impressive list of notable figures, Craig says there are two people he would love to sit down with if given the opportunity.
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“It would be one of my grandfathers because I never knew either one of them,” Craig says, explaining that while he knew his grandmothers, he never got the chance to know his maternal nor paternal grandfathers, but has heard stories about both.
In particular, the TODAY co-anchor says he wishes he could have gotten to know his maternal grandfather, which also happens to be his son’s namesake.
“My grandfather’s name is Franklin Delano Wiley, my son’s name is ‘Delano,’ and I’ve just heard over the years that he was whip smart, he was an incredible athlete,” says Craig of the relative he never got the chance to spend time with. “I just think I would enjoy getting to know him.”
Craig’s son, Delano, 10, surprised him in Studio 1A on Jan. 13, his first day as co-anchor of TODAY, along with daughter, Sybil, 8, and wife, sports broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak. The unexpected visit from his family ultimately brought Craig to tears.
“When I left this morning, you were all in bed!”
‘I’m joining this exclusive club’
Craig recently took over the co-anchor seat alongside Savannah Guthrie upon Hoda Kotb’s departure from TODAY. It’s a role Craig says he’s both nervous and excited about, even though it’s not in his nature to emote those feelings.
“My wife, Lindsay, jokes with me a lot about my lack of excitement. I don’t really get excited a lot about things, but, conversely, I don’t really get nervous a lot either. I’ve always tried to keep a fairly even temperament and I think that has served me well,” Craig says.
“Outside of my wedding day on October 15, 2011, outside of the birth of our two children, it’s the most excited I’ve ever been about anything. It is also the most nervous I’ve ever been about anything.”
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Craig points out that those nerves are due, in part, to his desire to do the tenured morning show justice.
“Ours is a little show that’s been around for more than 70 years, and in that 70 years, there’s only been a handful of hosts,” Craig explains. “It’s not lost on me that I’m joining this exclusive club.”
He says it’s also because he wants to a good partner to Savannah and the rest of the TODAY team.
“I get to stand on the shoulders of a few hundred people who work for the show at NBC News, and I want to make them proud,” he says.
