Craig Melvin was so shocked by news of Hoda Kotb’s Today show exit that he thought the decision to leave wasn’t hers.

“My dressing room is two over from hers, and she knocks on my door one morning, which was unusual. And she’s like, ‘You have a moment?’” Melvin, 45, recalled in an interview with Parade magazine published on Friday, January 17. “She came in, and she said, ‘I just wanted to tell you something. I’m leaving.’”

Melvin noted that his “initial reaction was, ‘Are you sick? Is everything OK?’ I was like, ‘Well, no one leaves these jobs on their own.’” While Kotb, 60, informed him she wanted to leave the show while she was “on top,” he continued to question her.

“I was like, ‘Are they forcing you out?’ She’s like, ‘No Craig, I’m OK. I’m leaving,’” he added. “I was legit stunned, so much so that after she left, I went back to her dressing room, and I was like, ‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ It takes a certain kind of courage to leave anything when you’re at the height of your game.”

Kotb announced she would be leaving the Today show after nearly 30 years of working at NBC in September 2024, citing turning 60 and wanting to spend more time with her kids — daughters Haley, 8, and Hope, 5 — as the main reasons behind her decision. Two months later, it was revealed that Melvin would be taking over her role as Savannah Guthrie’s coanchor.

“Craig, you were made for this job. You were literally made for this job. You are that kind of good,” Kotb gushed on air in November 2024. “You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it.”

Melvin returned her kind words at the time, stating, “It means a lot to inherit this from you. You’ve been the heart of this place for a long time. You helped save this show.”

In his Parade interview, Melvin said he “never dreamed that any of this would happen, which I think makes it even sweeter,” adding, “Outside of getting married and having my kids, I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited about something.”

“Craig! I’m moving forward, so reach back your hand. Grab the baton, your world will expand. The adventures are endless … the people so dear. Great memories await, year after year,” she wrote. “Day One! You are ready surrounded by love. Your team is the kind you can only dream of. Savannah, Al [Roker] and Carson [Daly] are here! With partners like these, your runway is clear. From out on the plaza, to inside 30 Rock, Your fans are so eager, they’re watching the clock. The time has arrived to rise like the sun. I am cheering for you, and a fabulous run! XOXO Hoda.”

Since Kotb’s Today exit, her former partner-in-crime Jenna Bush Hager has continued to cohost the show’s fourth hour, retitled Today With Jenna & Friends, alongside a rotating lineup of celebrity guest hosts. Stars such as Taraji P. Henson, Eva Longoria, Keke Palmer and Michelle Buteau joined Bush Hager, 43, for her first week on the job, while Scarlett Johansson will sit alongside the host for next week’s shows.