Craig Melvin got a huge break on the Today Show when he was promoted to replace Hoda Kotb. But now he lost another huge opportunity. Keep reading for all the details on the surprising move.
Today Host Craig Melvin Loses Big Opportunity
Craig Melvin joined the Today Show in 2018. After co-hosting the show’s third hour for a while, he got the promotion of a lifetime. The network chose him to replace Hoda Kotb as a co-host on the first two hours of the morning program. One of his co-hosts is Savannah Guthrie, who is dealing with a deeply personal situation.
Her mother, 84, went missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, January 31. It’s been days without anyone in the family hearing from Nancy Guthrie. The police don’t have any suspects yet. Craig Melvin and the rest of the Today hosts have been supporting Savannah Guthrie.
“It was great seeing that kind of outpouring of love and support and prayer from people not just there in Tucson, but here in New York. And, you know, folks have been coming up over the last few days, just random folks off the streets,” Craig Melvin said on the morning program.
Both Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin were scheduled to fly to Milan, Italy, to cover the 2026 Winter Olympics. Savannah Guthrie obviously dropped out amid the search for her mom. According to PEOPLE magazine Craig Melvin isn’t going to Milan anymore either. Instead, he’s staying in the U.S. to cover the massive sporting event.
The network didn’t reveal why the decision to bench Craig Melvin was made. Perhaps he didn’t want to leave his co-host and friend in her time of need. Ahmed Fareed takes over to host Olympic Late Night.
Outpouring Of Support For Today Host
Current and former Today hosts have been posting on social media to spread the word about Savannah Guthrie’s mom. Craig Melvin shared the phone number of the tip line for the police in Arizona. People in the comments shared their support amid the heartbreaking situation.
- “Praying for the safe return of Savannah’s dear mom.”
- “Moms are beyond precious! Many many prayers! This is heartbreaking”
- “Praying she is safe and unharmed. I pray the prayer of St Michael.”
- “Sending so many prayers. This is so unimaginable.”
- “This is heartbreaking , praying so hard this ends well”
- “We are praying for her mom, for sweet Savannah, her family, and for all of you too”
How To Watch 2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony
Mary Carillo and Terry Gannon will host NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. Retired snowboarder Shaun White will join them for commentary. The Winter Olympics kick off on Friday, February 6 and run through February 22.
The Olympic Games will be on multiple channels, but the best way to watch the Opening Ceremony is Friday night on NBC or stream on Peacock. Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli are among the scheduled performers.
Tell us in the comments why you think Craig Melvin is no longer covering the Olympics in Milan.
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