The “Today” anchors celebrated Kristen Welker Friday after NBC News announced she will be the new weekend co-anchor of the program.
Welker, who covers the White House for NBC News, started her career in journalism as a “Today” intern more than 20 years ago and now she’ll be co-anchoring weekends with fellow NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander, who helped welcome her Friday. She’ll be replacing Sheinelle Jones, who co-anchored on weekends for five years and will be continuing to co-anchor the third hour of “Today” during the week.
“To have come here as an intern for the Today show, to shoot that reel… I looked so serious,” Welker said after watching an old clip of herself reading the news at 21 for her demo reel. “To be terrified like that and then to come and sit at this desk, to sit next to my friend Peter Alexander every Saturday, it is the honor of a lifetime.”
“Kristen is what I call my ‘big little sister. She is one of my best friends in the world, not just professionally but personally. I really do consider her a part of my family,” said Alexander.
Welker’s first day anchoring the program will be Saturday.