CRAIG Melvin has abruptly skipped out on his duties on Today, leaving his co-host, Savannah Guthrie, with his surprising replacement.

Fans were confused when they didn’t see the seasoned anchor at his usual post during Wednesday morning’s broadcast.

Savannah addressed her co-host’s absence at the start of the show, revealing that Craig decided to get “a jump on the Thanksgiving holiday.”

She didn’t elaborate on Craig‘s whereabouts but noted that NBC News’ Sunday Today host, Willie Geist, would be filling in for him.

It’s assumed the TV star is preparing for a holiday gathering with his family, as he isn’t expected to host the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday.

The annual parade is typically hosted by Savannah, her former Today co-host, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker, who appear to be resuming their duties again this year.

Craig recently worried viewers by sharing a concerning post about his “next chapter” on Instagram, leading some to believe he had quit the show.

He and Savannah co-host the first and second hours of Today, a role he took over in January following Hoda’s departure.

The TV personality shared a slideshow of photos of himself reporting live from the studio, accompanied by a lengthy caption commemorating his time at MSNBC, NBC’s former sister network, where he worked from July 2011 to 2022.

However, at first glance, many fans thought Craig had subtly announced his exit from the program, which they shared in the comments.

The father of two clarified his words, writing, “Not leaving the today show. Was just saying goodbye to my MSNBC colleagues.”

MSNBC and NBC are in the midst of a messy split, affecting many employees as MSNBC rebranded to MS NOW.

Craig previously served as a daytime anchor and correspondent for NBC News before moving solely to Today.

The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed last November that Craig was Savannah’s “first choice” to replace Hoda as her co-host.

A source shared that the veteran host was “the one in charge” and ultimately had the final say in the decisions, especially who would sit beside her during broadcasts.

They also noted that promoting Craig into the role was a significant cost-cutting measure for the network.

Craig reportedly rakes in $5million to host the first three hours of Today, while Hoda was earning $20million.

Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones, Jenna Bush Hager, and Carson Daly are the show’s other main hosts in the morning.