The 2019 COVID pandemic changed the world in more ways than we can count. It had a profound effect on many aspects of everyday life that continue to this day. One of the biggest was the rise of remote work. Many people turned their homes into offices. But what their co-workers didn’t know was that their professional clothes ended at the waist. Shorts or pajamas replaced the traditional work attire. The pandemic is over, but Today Show host Craig Melvin still refuses to wear pants during the program’s live broadcast. Keep reading to find out why.
Craig Melvin Previews Special July 4th Assignment
Craig Melvin has worked on the Today Show for over a decade. He got the promotion of a lifetime in 2025 when he replaced Hoda Kotb as Savannah Guthrie’s co-host on the news show’s first two hours. He also co-hosts the fourth hour alongside Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer. The promotion did come with a downside.
Someone had to stay in the studio while the other anchors went on various assignments. That person was usually Craig Melvin. However, he finally got his chance. He revealed in late June the reason why he missed an episode. The Today Show host was busy on a “once in a lifetime’ adventure, and the cameras were there to catch every second.
Craig Melvin took time off from the live broadcast to film with U.S. Navy pilots for an upcoming special episode. “I traveled to Norfolk to climb into a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet and join a formation flyover above the National Mall ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebration,” he wrote on social media last month.
Viewers can watch the adventure on Saturday, July 4, when the Today Show airs a special broadcast.
Today Show Host Refuses To Wear Pants On Air
July 4 is a time for cookouts, outdoor fun, and fireworks. But this year, most of the country will be inside with the air conditioning. A dangerous heat wave could push temperatures in New York City, where the Today Show films, into the 100s for the first time in years. Craig Melvin notoriously hates the heat. He’s spoken out about it many times.
He opened up the show’s fourth hour on Tuesday with a warning to viewers that hot days were coming. Dylan Dreyer asked him how he was doing in the heat, and he replied, “I hate it.” Craig Melvin added, “I just adjusted my wardrobe this morning based on the temperature.”
Finally, his confession prompted Al Roker to joke that Craig Melvin won’t be wearing pants during the heat wave. “Craig will not be wearing pants on July 4th. The founders would understand,” Al Roker quipped.
It wouldn’t be the first time Craig Melvin went pantless during the live broadcast. Al Roker teased that his co-host was wearing Bermuda shorts during a heat wave in May. The anchor desk hides Craig Melvin’s lower half. Do you think he has pants on? Tell us in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
