Craig Melvin will take a brief break from 'Today' beginning April 13
Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Craig Melvin has been co-hosting Today since January 2025
- On April 9, his co-host Savannah Guthrie announced that he would take a vacation from the anchor desk the following week
- A familiar face will be stepping in for Melvin amid his brief absence
When viewers turn on the Today show this week, Craig Melvin will be notably absent.
On April 9, Melvin and co-host Savannah Guthrie announced that he would be taking a brief break from the anchor desk beginning on April 13. Guthrie shared that Melvin is going on a "well-deserved" break after "holding it down here" for some time.
The Today desk has had a rotating group of anchors in recent weeks, as Guthrie had been off the air after her mom, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared from her Arizona home in early February 2026. Hoda Kotb, Sheinelle Jones and Laura Jarrett were among the familiar faces who filled in for Guthrie during her absence. (While the search for her mom remains underway, Guthrie returned to work on April 6, saying it felt "good to be home.")
So, where is Craig Melvin this week? Here's everything to know about his absence from the Today show and who is filling in until his return.
Why is Craig Melvin absent from Today?
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As Guthrie shared during the April 9 broadcast, Melvin is absent from Today because he is "heading off on a very well-deserved vacation."
"You've been holding it down here for a long time," she said to Melvin. "So you're gonna have a spring break. And Monday we're gonna try a new host here," she teased.
Melvin confirmed he "won't turn on the TV" during his break, and Guthrie reassured him, "You're not supposed to watch on your vacation."
The anchor has not revealed where he will be vacationing. His absence comes nearly two weeks after Jones took a spring break of her own, with a rotation of guests stepping in for the anchor on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, which she hosts alongside Jenna Bush Hager.
Who is filling in for Craig Melvin on Today this week?
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Guthrie shared on air that she'll reunite with her former co-host Kotb while Melvin is away.
When Guthrie said that someone whose "name is Hoda" was filling in as host, Melvin joked that he's "heard of her."
Kotb originally left the show in January 2025, though she returned for multiple shows over the last few months to fill in for Guthrie amid her mother's disappearance.
When will Craig Melvin return to Today?
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Melvin will likely return to Today on Monday, April 20, 2026.
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