WASHINGTON — The "TODAY" show will have a new host next year.
Journalist Craig Melvin will replace long-running host Hoda Kotb when she leaves the show on Jan. 10, 2025, Savannah Guthrie announced Thursday.
When the news was first announced to the show's behind-the-scenes crew, Guthrie said "people broke into applause. This is one of the most popular decisions NBC News has ever made."
Melvin grinned and thanked his family and God for the opportunity, saying that it was the latest in a "lifetime of blessings" for him to anchor the show.
Kotb said she was incredibly pleased with the choice to take her spot on the show, praising Melvin's dedication and hard work.
"you are literally made for this job, you are that kind of good," she said. "You have all the things that this job needs. You're the right person for it."
Kotb announced in September that she would be leaving the show now that she's turned 60.
"I just turned 60 and it was such a monumental moment for me, when I turned 60 years old, because I started thinking about that decade - like what does that decade mean, what does it hold, what's it going to have for me - and I realize that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new," Kotb shared on-air with her co-anchors and viewers.
Kotb has been with the network for 26 years, including 17 years on "Today." She has co-anchored with Guthrie since 2018, filling in after Matt Lauer was fired amid sexual harassment allegations. She first joined NBC News as a correspondent for “Dateline” in 1998, and later joined “Today” in 2007.
While she's leaving the morning show in "the beginning of 2025," Kotb said she will not be leaving NBC.
Kotb has also served as co-host of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2018 and been a key part of NBC's Olympics coverage during the last several Summer and Winter Games.
