HAIR TACTICS

‘Today’ Show Host, 47, Debuts Longest Hair in Decades

The co-anchor has revealed a new look as he vies for the title of “Sexiest Man Alive.”

Craig Melvin’s bid for a “Sexiest Man Alive” title is turning into a full-blown campaign.

The 47-year-old Today co-host is growing out his hair longer than it has been in 30 years as he vies for votes in People’s Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice poll.

Melvin is nominated in the category asking, “Which one of these morning hosts is hotter than your first cup of coffee?”—and his fellow Today anchors have been making sure viewers do not forget his pursuit of the poll’s top title.

His competition includes Michael Strahan of Good Morning America, Vladimir Duthiers of CBS Mornings, and Gio Benitez of GMA and ABC News Live.

On Monday, Melvin’s new look became a running joke on the morning show.

During a segment about music rights, Melvin broke into Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” calling it “one of my favorites.”

“You got the old Kid ‘n Play going,” weatherman Al Roker teased, comparing Melvin’s taller hairstyle to the looks worn by the hit ’80s and ’90s hip-hop duo.

“Vanilla Ice, that’s a different cut,” Melvin replied, laughing.

“I’m jealous, whatever the cut is, believe me,” Roker, 72, joked, making light of his own lack of hair.

The hair commentary continued when Melvin headed outside to the Today Plaza with Savannah Guthrie, Dylan Dreyer, and his other co-hosts.

Guthrie spotted a fan sign featuring a giant photo of Melvin and immediately turned the moment into another plug for his campaign.

“Sooo sexy, is the voting still open for Sexiest Man?” Guthrie, 54, teased.

“That’s before he grew out his hair,” Dreyer noted of the photo.

“I know, now look at it,” Guthrie exclaimed, pointing toward Melvin’s current style.

Dreyer, 45, gave the longer look her stamp of approval, remarking, “I like this look.”

When Melvin asked if she meant it, Dreyer doubled down: “Yes! I really do.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Melvin replied with a smile.

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The on-air endorsement came after light teasing over Melvin’s nomination and turned his hairstyle into an unofficial part of the campaign.

But the makeover started before People put his name on the ballot.

Melvin first revealed his hair journey in August, telling fans that his hair had reached its longest length in three decades.

“This was encouraged by my longtime barber DJ Fresh,” Melvin said in an Instagram video. “So let’s see what happens.”

The father of two revealed that part of the appeal behind the longer cut was its age-defying effect, with his barber telling him the style made him look “younger.”

Melvin still left the final verdict to his followers.

“Keep growing it out or go back to what it used to look like?” he asked, before joking, “It’s getting long. I might do cornrows or dreads.”

The new look drew a mixed reception. Some fans praised the fuller hair and urged Melvin to keep growing it, while others said they missed the close-cropped style viewers had become accustomed to seeing on the longtime NBC personality.

Some commenters had another question entirely: What did Melvin’s wife, sports broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak, think?

The pair, who married in 2011, share two children, Delano, 12, and Sybil, 9.

Whatever the answer, Melvin appears to have sided with the pro-growth camp. Nearly two months after first asking fans for their verdict, the extra length is still there—and now his co-hosts are using it as material in his sexiest-host campaign.

Voting in People’s Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice poll remains open through Oct. 12, with winners across all 14 categories set to be announced on Oct. 20.

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Tamilore OshikanluContributor

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