Hoda Kotb out, Craig Melvin in.
Two months after Kotb announced she was leaving Today, it’s been revealed that Melvin will be her replacement beginning in January.
Kotb praised Melvin during the on-air announcement on Thursday (Nov. 14), saying that he was “made for this job.”
“You are literally made for this job. You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it,” she continued.
Melvin was quick to fire back praise for Kotb, saying: “It means a lot to inherit this from you. You helped save the show and to be able to sit next to someone who I knew was smart for years and all of a sudden you start working with her and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, she’s funny too!'”
Melvin begins his stint as co-anchor alongside Savannah Guthrie on Jan. 13, and he will continue to host the third hour of Today alongside Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer.
READ MORE: Hoda Kotb ‘Not Scared’ of Finding Love at 60 After Split From Ex-Fiance: ‘I Know It’s Happening’
In September, Kotb – who has Haley, 7, and four-year-old Hope with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman – announced that she made the “painful” decision to leave Today after 17 years to spend more time with her family.
In a letter to staff on the NBC show shared on Sept. 26, the 60-year-old broadcaster wrote: “As I write this, my heart is all over the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one. And you all are the reason why. They say two things can be right at the same time, and I’m feeling that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.”
Although Kotb is leaving Today, she explained that she will still “remain a part of the NBC family.”
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