Viewers who have tuned into the “Today” show this week may have noticed Craig Melvin, the newly minted morning co-host on the popular NBC show, has been absent, leading many to wonder what happened.
Melvin, an NBC mainstay since 2011, kicked off his co-anchor gig alongside Savannah Guthrie on Jan. 13, replacing Hota Kotb who told USA TODAY her exit was neither a risk nor loss, stating she wanted to spend time with her kids.
As fans wonder where he is just months into his new role, with veteran NBC sportscaster Mike Tirico stepping in, here’s what to know about his absence:
Where is Craig Melvin? Why isn’t Craig Melvin on the ‘Today’ show?
Melvin co-anchors first and second hours of the “Today” show with Guthrie at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., and also co-anchors the “Today Third Hour” at 10 a.m. However, Melvin was a no-show for all three segments on Monday and Tuesday this week.
Don’t fret; Melvin is taking a vacation. During the April 10 broadcast, Guthrie shared that her co-anchor would be off this week to celebrate Easter break with his family.
Melvin shares two children — son, Delano and daughter, Sybil — with his wife and fellow broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak. On April 7, Melvin’s wife shared a photo on Instagram of her family enjoying the New York Knicks game.
Who is Craig Melvin?
Craig Melvin, 45, originally of South Carolina, has been with NBC and MSNBC since 2011, joining as an MSNBC Live anchor until 2022 and an NBC News correspondent since 2012. The Emmy-winning journalist is also a “Dateline” anchor and has been with “Today” since 2018.
As a high school student, Melvin kicked off his career at an NBC-affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina, later rejoining the station after college. In 2008, he joined NBC’s WRC-TV station in Washington, D.C., and by 2011, he headed to work at MSNBC as a daytime anchor. He worked alongside several NBC reporters covering a wide range of events over the years, eventually anchoring MSNBC Live (later MSNBC Reports) and “Dateline: Secrets Uncovered” before being part of the initial cast for “Today Third Hour” in 2018.
Why is Mike Tirico on the ‘Today’ show?
NBC sports commentator Mike Tirico is guest hosting this week on the “Today” show alongside Savannah Guthrie. It was announced on April 10 he’d be helping out this week amid Melvin’s vacation, with the show announcing his temp gig on their Instagram page, alongside a video of Guthrie giving him a special 30 Rock tour of the studios.
Tirico said he was “beyond excited” to take on the guest hosting spot, according to an NBC article, with Guthrie stating that Tirico was an “obvious” and “consensus” choice for the role.
Who is Mike Tirico?
Mike Tirico, 58, has been a staple in the sports broadcasting world since the early 1990s, sitting front and center calling and hosting some of the biggest events in the world. He has been the play-by-play announcer for Sunday Night Football on NBC since 2022 (he took over for Al Michaels), although have been on the SNF team for decades. He won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality two years in a row, and will take on the dual role as play-by-play for NBA games this October.
He is married to Deborah “Debbie” Gibaratz, whom he met at Syracuse College in 1991, and they share two children, son, Jordan, and daughter, Cammi.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
