Chuck Todd has announced that he will be leaving NBC’s Meet the Press after nearly 10 years.
On Sunday, Todd, who has hosted the political affairs show for more than nine years, told viewers: “It’s been an amazing nearly decade-long run. I am really proud of what this team and I have built over the last decade.”
“I’ve loved so much of this job, helping to explain America to Washington and explain Washington to America,” he said.
Todd went on to add: “When I took over Meet the Press, it was a Sunday show that had a lot of people questioning whether it still could have a place in the modern media space. Well, I think we’ve answered that question and then some.”
He explained that he was aware that many leaders tend to “overstay their welcome” and that he would prefer to leave a “little bit too soon than stay a tad too long”.
“I’ve let work consume me for nearly 30 years. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t wake up before 5 or 6am, and as I’ve watched too many friends and family let work consume them before it was too late, I promised my family I wouldn’t do that,” he added.
As the longest-running show on US television, Meet the Press marked its 75th anniversary last year with Todd being its 12th host after he took over from former host David Gregory in 2014.
Todd has interviewed a slew of notable figures, including Vice-President Kamala Harris, former vice-president Mike Pence and former Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who infamously used the phrase “alternative facts” on the show.
In an internal email sent to employees, NBC News president of editorial Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice-president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown praised Todd for his “thoughtful and passionate leadership”.
“‘Meet the Press’ has sustained its historic role as the indispensable news program on Sunday mornings … Through his penetrating interviews with many of the most important newsmakers, the show has played an essential role in politics and policy, routinely made front-page news, and framed the thinking in Washington and beyond,” they wrote.
Kristen Welker, a chief White House correspondent for NBC News and regular substitute host for the show, will be replacing Todd.
“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,” Todd told viewers.
Praising Welker’s new role, Blumenstein and Budoff Brown wrote: “She has masterfully moderated primary and general election presidential debates and her sharp questioning of lawmakers is a masterclass in political interviews.
“She is a dogged reporter who relishes getting big scoops and is widely admired throughout the bureau and the network for her deeply collaborative nature,” they added.
