Carson Daly stays on The Voice as producer, co-anchors Weekend Today
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The gist
Carson Daly said he is not leaving The Voice, though Keke Palmer will host its celebrity season.
He co-anchors NBC's Weekend Today, and fans are floating him for the job full-time.
Background
Carson Daly is a Today co-host and former TRL (Total Request Live, MTV's music-video countdown) VJ who has hosted and produced The Voice for 30 seasons over 16 years. In August 2026 it was announced he would not host The Voice Season 31, a celebrity-focused edition, with Keke Palmer taking over while Daly produces it behind the scenes. He has since been co-anchoring Weekend Today with Laura Jarrett, a slot left without a permanent co-anchor after Peter Alexander left NBC News in March after 22 years. In October, Today aired a special episode from County Kerry, Ireland, where Daly learned his family history.
How it unfolded
- Aug 4, 2026Daly posted on Instagram that he is not leaving The Voice, saying he will produce Celeb Voice only from behind the scenes and that they will "try out these 2 formats this fall/spring."
- August 2026It was announced Daly will not return to host The Voice Season 31; Keke Palmer will take over the celebrity-focused season.
- Oct 10, 2026Laura Jarrett and Carson Daly appeared on the October 10 episode of NBC's Weekend Today.
- Oct 13, 2026Reports said Today fans want Daly to take a full-time anchor role after his The Voice role change, noting he has co-anchored Weekend Today with Jarrett in recent weeks.
- Oct 16, 2026Today aired all four hours live from County Kerry, Ireland; Daly learned his family history with genealogist Fiona Fitzsimons and was surprised by a group of Dalys in Kenmare, including distant cousin Lorraine.
- Oct 16, 2026Irish Senator Mark Daly gifted Carson an Irish flag flown from the building where the first Irish flag was flown in 1848; the group's sign read "We're the Dalys! Welcome Home, Cousin Carson!"
- Oct 19, 2026On Today, Al Roker's microphone failed; Daly hugged him so his voice would reach Daly's microphone, and Roker teased "That was awkward."
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Daly said on Instagram that he is not leaving The Voice and will keep producing the celebrity edition from behind the scenes.
- Public
- Some Today fans on Reddit said they enjoy Daly on Saturdays and called it "a good place for him to sharpen his anchor skills."
- Analysts
- Genealogist Fiona Fitzsimons, director of the Irish Family History Center, traced Daly's family to the early 1800s, to coal miners who survived the Irish Potato Famine.
Still unverified
Rumors circulated that Daly would leave The Voice after Season 30 wrapped; reports say he is only not hosting Season 31's celebrity edition and remains an executive producer. Fans' suggestions that he take the Weekend Today anchor role full-time are speculation, with no official announcement made.