Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
Is Kristen Welker Leaving ‘Weekend Today’? Talk Show Host Announces New Career Venture
NBC has been going through some big casting changes over the past few months. Weekend Today anchor Kristen Welker made a huge announcement about her future on the network. Scroll below to find out if she is leaving the talk show.
When Did Kristen Welker Join ‘Weekend Today’?
Years before becoming a leading personality on Weekend Today, Kristen interned for NBC while attending Harvard University in the ‘90s. She always hoped that a permanent spot on the show was in her cards.
In January 2020, the journalist was officially named a cohost on Weekend Today. Kristen joined her pal Peter Alexander at the news desk to tackle hard-hitting headlines, host celebrity interviews and share captivating stories on the program.
“This is something that you dream about that I’ve worked so hard for,” the White House correspondent, who shares daughter Margot with husband John Hughes, said during an episode after being named coanchor. “It is the honor of a lifetime. It’s coming full circle.”
Is Kristen Welker Leaving ‘Weekend Today’?
Kristen made a huge career move in June 2023 that left many fans wondering if she would be scaling back her duties on Weekend Today. The Pennsylvania native was named the new moderator of Meet the Press after longtime host Chuck Todd announced he was leaving the show.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with her from essentially her first day and let me just say, she’s the right person in the right moment,” Chuck said of his successor during an episode of the series. “This is exactly how I always hoped this would end, that I’d be passing the baton to her.”
Kristen expressed gratitude for the opportunity and is the second woman to take on the moderator role in the long-running franchise.
“Meet the Press is one of the most important political broadcasts in history,” she gushed during an appearance on Today in June 2023. “I just feel so grateful and humbled to all of those who built this amazing legacy. I’m thinking about Martha Rountree, Tim Russert and of course, my mentor, Chuck Todd, who taught me just about everything I know about politics.”
Though she will have a packed schedule, Kristen has not announced any plans to leave Weekend Today. Instead, she is ready to tackle her new role along with continuing her typical weekend duties with Peter by her side.
“I’m just so fortunate, proud and I just feel so truly humbled that after nearly a decade of serving as moderator [with] an extraordinary body of work, Chuck is the one passing the baton on to me,” the broadcaster shared.
