Carson Daly named permanent co-anchor of Saturday TODAY, expanding to six days a week

Carson Daly has been anchoring NBC's Saturday mornings on a fill-in basis since September. As of November 5, 2026, the arrangement is permanent — NBC named Daly co-anchor of Saturday TODAY, putting him on air six days a week alongside co-anchor Laura Jarrett, feature anchor Joe Fryer and meteorologist Angie Lassman. His official debut in the role airs November 7.

I'm thrilled to add Saturday TODAY to my weekday morning schedule. My kids asked if I'll still make pancakes. I told them yes, but I'll be making them for Laura, Joe and Angie instead. I'm equal parts grateful and excited for this opportunity.— Carson Daly

Daly steps into the Saturday chair vacated by Peter Alexander, who announced in March that he was leaving Saturday TODAY and departing NBC News after 22 years. Alexander is now a host with MS NOW, according to today.com.

The hire deepens a relationship between Daly and NBC that stretches back to 2002, when he began hosting the late-night series Last Call with Carson Daly — a run that lasted 18 seasons and 2,000 episodes before concluding in 2019. He joined TODAY in 2013 as host of the Orange Room, the show's digital and social media hub, and became the face of its daily Pop Start pop-culture segment. He has also hosted and executive produced The Voice since the competition series premiered in 2011, and serves as executive producer of the newer franchise edition, The Voice: Celebrity.

Carson has been an integral part of the TODAY family for the past 13 years, and we are thrilled that our viewers get to spend one more day of the week with him. Carson and Laura make a great team, and we can't wait for this fresh new chapter of Saturday TODAY.— Libby Leist, Executive Vice President of TODAY and Lifestyle

On the morning of the announcement, Daly reflected on what the role means at this stage of his career.

I should just say, I've been very lucky to have a lot of TV gigs, but this one's really special. At my age and at my stage of my career, to have an opportunity to come in and sit next to Laura and to learn and to get better at my job to be the best broadcaster that I can, it's not something I take lightly.— Carson Daly

Weekday co-anchor Savannah Guthrie offered an endorsement on air, telling Daly: 'I always say to anyone who will listen that Carson is like salt and pepper on a meal. He makes everything taste better.' The TODAY team marked the occasion with a Guinness toast, a nod to Daly's ancestral roots that the show explored during a recent trip to Ireland, according to today.com.

Before his NBC tenure, Daly rose to national prominence co-creating and hosting MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) from 1998 until 2003, a music video countdown that became a cultural landmark for artists including Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, according to NBC Universal's press release. Away from television, Daly serves on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Project Healthy Minds and has used his platform to advocate for mental health awareness.

One scheduling note: Daly will not host the celebrity-focused Season 31 of The Voice, set to debut in 2027, though he clarified in an Instagram post that he remains the show's host overall, according to today.com. Matt Carluccio serves as executive producer of the weekend editions of TODAY.

Why it matters — The hire resolves Saturday TODAY's anchor vacancy left by Peter Alexander's departure and locks in Daly as NBC News' most broadly deployed on-air talent, appearing across weekday mornings, Saturday mornings, and primetime.

Reported by variety.com, nbcuniversalnewsgroup.com, today.com, hollywoodreporter.com