Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb as co-anchor of the ‘TODAY’ show

Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb after the beloved co-anchor announced in September that she was leaving “TODAY” after nearly two decades.

Melvin, a news anchor of “TODAY” and a co-host of the 3rd hour of “TODAY,” made the announcement on the show Thursday morning.

“I am beyond excited and grateful,” an emotional Melvin said. “I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings and this is the latest in a long line of blessings.” Kotb said he was “literally made for this job.”

“You have all the things this job needs,” she said. “You are the right person for it.”

Kotb will remain as co-anchor until Jan. 10, calling it a “party day.” She said she made the decision after she turned 60 in August.

“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” she told her fellow hosts as she fought back tears.

Kotb has co-anchored the show with Savannah Guthrie since early 2018, becoming the first all-female anchor team. Guthrie praised Kotb for her “guts” and said she was exiting at “the top of [her] game.”