Craig Melvin has been with the Today Show for nearly a decade. However, he only recently became co-anchor alongside Savannah Guthrie in 2025 when Hoda Kotb retired. Craig Melvin has been absent from the show this week. Insider sources claimed that the anchor is risking his job with a prolonged absence. Keep reading for all the details on the shocking situation.
Craig Melvin Risks Today Job With Absence
Craig Melvin is an important part of the Today Show family. He co-hosts the show’s first two hours with Savannah Guthrie and then continues hosting the third hour until Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones take over. Both of those ladies often appear in the early hours, as well.
The morning program is a well-oiled machine, but Craig Melvin’s absence this week allegedly might cost him his job. Savannah Guthrie announced last week that her co-anchor was taking a much-deserved break. Hoda Kotb rejoined her for the week. But according to an insider, that was a huge mistake on Craig Melvin’s part.
Hoda Kotb is wildly popular with viewers. An insider told Rob Shuter that Craig Melvin’s decision to vacation right now was “foolish.” The source added, “If the numbers go up while he’s gone? That’s not just awkward — it’s dangerous. A big problem.”
The insider claimed that Hoda Kotb could get her job back anytime she wants. “If Hoda decides she wants her old job back, Craig won’t stand a chance. He’ll be elbowed out,” the source said.
Hoda Kotb Gushes Over Working With Savannah Guthrie Again
Hoda Kotb left the NBC news program in early 2025 to spend more time with her family. She shares two daughters with her ex-fiance Joel Schiffman. The former couple split in 2022 but have an amicable co-parenting relationship. She may have left the morning show, but she didn’t cut ties with NBC.
Hoda Kotb returned to the Today Show in February to fill in for Savannah Guthrie while she dealt with her mother’s disappearance. Nancy Guthrie, 84, went missing on January 31, 2026. She still hasn’t been found, but Savannah Guthrie returned to work in April.
Hoda Kotb spoke to PEOPLE magazine about working with Savannah again amid Craig Melvin’s absence. “It’s been really beautiful and I feel privileged to be able to sit there for a little while,” Hoda Kotb told the outlet. “There’s nobody like her.”
Craig Soon Out?
While Hoda Kotb hasn’t expressed interest in staying on long-term, Craig Melvin is reportedly considering cutting his vacation soon. However, Today Show viewers don’t believe she wants to come back full-time. They took to Reddit to react to the speculation that Craig Melvin might be out of a job soon.
- “Hoda left because she wanted more time with her young family. Regardless of what the fans want, she made her choice. I’m sure Craig is sleeping soundly.”
- “Not a chance Hoda wants to go back to the daily grind of 4 a.m. and commuting into the city. Craig is being looked at a hero who helped hold the fort down during Savannah’s trauma and he deserves a break.”
- “Nobody wants her back”
Craig Melvin should be back from vacation on Monday, April 20. Do you like having him on the Today Show, and would you miss him if he were gone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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
