Employees at The Today Show are preparing for the return of Savannah Guthrie, who took a leave of absence from the program amid the 2026 TV schedule due to the continued search for her mother, Nancy. While one member of that talk show family is preparing to return, it seems one is getting ready to leave – Peter Alexander. The veteran TV journalist announced his decision this weekend and was met with well wishes from his colleagues. What has me smiling, though, are the reactions Alexander’s daughters had to his exit.
Alexander has been with NBC News for over 22 years and, since 2018, he’s co-anchored the Saturday edition of Today. In his time with the Peacock network, Alexander has covered a plethora of stories and held down a variety of roles as well. Those fond memories were shared during the March 28 broadcast of Today, as Alexander expressed gratitude for his time on the show and with NBC as a whole. He also shared insight into his reason for stepping away from his New York-based job:
Because I live in Washington [D.C.], it’s also a trek. I've been away from my home more than 80 nights in the last seven months. More than 220 Friday nights away from my family in the last seven years. So, in this limited window — before my daughters lose interest in hanging out with me, it's already happened quick — I'm eager to carve out a better balance between my personal and professional lives and to challenge myself with something new. I’m excited.
Alexander is married to former WJLA-TV anchor Alison Starling and shares daughters Ava (12) and Emma (10) with her. During his TV send-off, Alexander went on to explain his kids had some great responses when he told them about what he was planning to do:
Article continues belowMy little one said to me, 'Oh, so wait, I'm gonna get you home like 48 extra hours a week? Yeah, I can deal with that.’ My older one, who's almost 13, said, 'So if I had a job offer that let me be in New York every Friday night away from my family, I would totally take that job.'
I’d argue that very few people can humble a person like kids can, and that definitely seems to be the case here. Still, in all seriousness, there seems to be nothing but love here, and it’s sweet that Alexander is making this change, in part, due to his desire to spend more time with his family. And, on that note, it seems he does indeed have something else lined up, as Deadline reports that he’ll be joining MS Now (formerly MSNBC) as a correspondent. Check out Alexander’s full sign-of down below:
Up to this point, Peter Alexander has worn a lot of hats during his time at NBC News. He covered a vast array of stories related to international affairs and served as a White House correspondent from 2012 20 2014. That latter position eventually grew, with Alexander eventually working his way up to Chief White House correspondent in 2023. More recently, Alexander also filled in for Hoda Kotb at the 2026 Winter Olympics due to her bowing out to cover for Savannah Guthrie at Today.
It’ll be somewhat weird not seeing Alexander on The Today Show, but it’s comforting that he made the decision and is eager for what lies ahead. That seems to include more quality time with his family and, as that plays out, I hope his daughters find more funny ways to troll him.
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