After nearly two decades, Hoda Kotb is bidding farewell to the Today show on Friday, Jan. 10, concluding a fun and emotional week of “Hodabration.” As the veteran journalist prepares for her next chapter, many are wondering who will replace her. Here’s everything you need to know about her successor.

Kotb, who joined Today in 2007 as the first host of NBC’s first fourth hour program, announced her departure on Sept. 26. “I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one. And you all are the reason why. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show,” she penned in a letter to the Today show staff. She added that her daughters “deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.”

The mother of two later told People that turning 60 milestone inspired her to reevaluate her priorities as a parent. She shares two daughters, Haley Joy and Hope Catherine, with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman. Hoda adopted Haley in 2017 and Hope in 2019.“I knew that I wanted this decade to be different. I looked at my time like a pie. I was like, this is how much time I get, and now what am I going to do with it and how am I going to carve it up? And I wanted it to be filled with more of them,” she said.Kotb’s final week on Today began on Jan. 6 with a surprise visit from her Tri Delt sorority sisters. She was also gifted a custom painting by Charlie Mackesy, the author of one of her favorite books. On her final day, Jan. 10, Hoda’s colleagues shared heartfelt messages reflecting on their relationships with her over the years, which brought her to tears.

Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb on Today, sharing co-anchoring duties with Savannah Guthrie. Melvin currently hosts the third hour of Today alongside Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones, and Dylan Dreyer, a role he will continue to hold. He has been with the network since 2011.

Guthrie shared the exciting news of Melvin’s promotion while anchoring the beloved talk show last fall. “[He’s] talented, wonderful, hard-working, and the most worthy of this,” she said. “Let me just say, the larger staff found out this morning, and people broke into applause.”

Melvin said he was “beyond excited and grateful” to take on the significant role, according to NBC.com. “I’ve had a lot of conversations yesterday with a lot of people who mean a lot to me, and I just wanted to obviously thank NBC and the folks here who have deemed me worthy. I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings and this is the latest in a long line of blessings.”

Kotb congratulated her replacement after Today revealed the news on Nov. 14. “Craig, you were made for this job,” she told Melvin. “You were literally made for this job. You are that kind of good. You have all the things that this job needs. You are the right person for it.”

Craig Melvin will officially begin as co-anchor of Today on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Stay tuned for more details on how the morning show plans to celebrate his debut.

Will Craig Melvin Also Be Co-Hosting The Fourth Hour Of Today?

No, Craig Melvin will not be co-hosting the fourth hour of Today alongside Jenna Bush Hager. The program, which is being rebranded as Today with Jenna & Friends, has yet to name an official replacement.

Bush Hager told Variety on Jan. 6 that she is “involved” in finding a new co-host, but noted that there isn’t a defined timeline for finding Hoda’s replacement.

“I feel like our audience deserves the time to get to know a ton of different people, ton of different backgrounds,” the former first daughter said. “We’re hoping to pull up the chairs to all different types of people. I think there will be some surprises for sure. And so it’s like when we know, I think we’ll know.”

Instead, Bush Hager will be joined by a rotating lineup of celebrity co-hosts, including Keke Palmer, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria, Taraji P. Henson, and others. Henson will appear on the morning show on Jan. 13 and Jan. 17, with Longoria joining on Jan. 14 and Palmer on Jan. 15. Johansson will step in as a guest co-host during the second week. Additional guest hosts will be announced at a later date.