NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: During a recent ‘Today’ episode, host Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones reportedly went missing as Jacob Soboroff filled-in as their replacement during the ‘3rd Hour’ segment.
For ‘Today 3rd Hour’, Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer, Jones, and Melvin are the usual hosting team. However, on Thursday, half of the ‘Today’ team was missing from the show and was replaced by Soboroff as guest co-host. Although Roker and Dreyer remained, the hosts didn’t reveal the reason behind Melvin and Jones’s absence from the morning show.
Where are Sheinelle Jones and Craig Melvin?
At the start of the broadcast, Roker and Dreyer acknowledged the absence of their ‘Today’ co-stars. However, they happily welcomed one of the beloved correspondents, Soboroff, as a guest co-host to join them at the desk. During the introduction, Dreyer playfully teased Soboroff about his quirky one-liners.
She said, “Good morning, everyone! It’s the third hour of Today on this Thursday. Friday eve. Dylan here with Al. Obviously, Craig and Sheinelle are off today. But we’ve got our good friend, Jacob Soboroff!” Soboroff greeted the viewers with a quick "howdy”, but Roker and Dreyer couldn't help but chuckle at the unique and humorous way he chose to say hello. Dreyer said, “You’ve been throwing little, weird one-liners all morning”.
The specific reasons for Melvin and Jones’s absence were not disclosed, leaving viewers curious about when they would return. Melvin recently came back from a vacation with his family, while details about Jones’s absence and return date were not stated.
Jacob Soboroff: A perfect fill-in
Jacob Soboroff has become a reliable fill-in for absent hosts on both the flagship edition and ‘Third Hour' version of the ‘Today’ show. Last week, he took over Carson Daly's pop culture segment, "Pop Start”, when Daly was out. During one episode, Jacob joined Roker, Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, and Hoda Kotb on the show's white couch to pay tribute to the late musician Randy Meisner. However, during the segment, Kotb disappeared from the set, prompting the other hosts to wonder where she went. It turned out that Kotb had rushed outside to Rockefeller Plaza with pop star Renee Rapp to energize the awaiting crowd before the singer's live performance. Soboroff’s versatility and willingness to step in when needed have made him a valuable addition to the ‘Today’ show team.