Craig Melvin becomes emotional when his wife and two children surprise him on his first day as Today’s co-anchor

Craig Melvin received the finest surprise on his first day as a Today co-anchor.

The 45-year-old father of two became emotional as his wife, Lindsay Czarniak, and his two children—son Delano, 10, and daughter Sybil, 8—walked out on stage to surprise him on his first day as an official Today co-anchor. His family included his parents, Lawrence and Betty Jo, as well as his brother Ryan.

“When I left this morning, you were all in bed!” Melvin said.

“We faked it,” Czarniak said, chuckling.

Delano sat next to his father, both dressed in blue suits. “Oh, you got a microphone, buddy,” Melvin told Delano, who replied, “I’m professional!”

Melvin succeeded Hoda Kotb, who left Today on Friday, January 10.

“He’s a great dad, and he deserves to be here today,” Delano said about his father on the show, causing Melvin to cry and give him a tight hug.

Sybil then brought out a note she had written about her father, and Czarniak stated that the 8-year-old had written down some information about him that she felt the audience might be interested in.

“My father loves to play with me. “He enjoys tickle fights and watches TV shows with me,” she wrote.

Melvin posted a lovely photo on Instagram in December of his family of four dressed in identical green and white Christmas jammies. The quartet grinned in the gorgeous photo, and the delighted father took a moment to reflect on the holiday season in his post.

“Merry Christmas from the Melvins,” he said. “I hope your day is full of love, excitement, and memories. We offer a special prayer today for those who are experiencing loneliness or grief during the holiday season.