By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-08 15:16:42 | Updated at 2025-01-09 06:28:18
15 hours ago
Craig Melvin has shared the important advice Hoda Kotb gave him some after it was confirmed that he would be replacing her on the Today show.
It was announced in November that the broadcaster and dad-of-two, 45, would be stepping up to co-anchor the NBC program after Hoda, 60, revealed her exit following 26 years at the network.
With Craig set to take over the Today show on Monday, January 13, he divulged that his legendary predecessor reached out to him directly to offer him her pearls of wisdom.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com on Tuesday night at the network's special Start Today event in honor of their new health and wellness app launch, he said: 'Hoda was one of the first people to call, and we had a delightful conversation.
'She's like, "Soak it all in. You gotta savor every moment. This is gonna be a heck of a ride, hopefully for a number of years, don't get lost in the weeds, savor it all in."
'And so I'm trying to take that to heart.'
Craig recalled how he and Hoda spent a lot of time together at the Today show studio at Rockefeller Plaza during the Covid pandemic.
'She would remind me sometimes that we get to do this. We get to do this!
Craig Melvin has shared the important advice Hoda Kotb gave him after he was confiremd as her replacement on the Today show
Hoda phoned Craig immediately after he got the job and urged him to 'savor every moment'
'So every now and then I have to remind myself, even on long days like this, even when I miss the kids recital or basketball game, that this is a professional privilege that a lot of folks would love to have.'
Craig shared that he has been 'overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers' since it was officially revealed that he would be replacing Hoda on the show.
'Every day on the plaza, someone's like, "Hey, congratulations." And I'm like, "On what?" And they're like, "your new job?" I'm like, "oh, that's right, I forgot!"
'I was on vacation last week with my family and random people would say, "hey, congrats!"
'And it's in those moments that you realize the Today Show, it's an institution, it's been around for more than 70 years, and there's a reason that's the case.
'It's not about me or Hoda, it's about the show.
'The characters have come and gone over the years, the journalists have been in and out, but the show endures.
'And I think we'll be okay.'
Craig has been 'overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers' since it was revealed that he would be replacing Hoda on the show
Fellow Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie announced in November that Craig would be taking over from Hoda.
Sitting next to both Hoda and Craig, she said: 'Though you are irreplaceable, we are so excited about the news in our Today family and that is the person sitting right next to me, our dear friend and talented, wonderful, hard-working, most worthy of this, Craig Melvin is the new anchor of the Today show.
'And let me just say that the staff, the larger staff found out this morning, and people broke into applause.
'This is the one of the most popular decisions NBC news has ever made.'
Hoda is gearing up to say goodbye to the Today show this week. Her last day is Friday, January 10.
