NBC correspondent Emilie Ikeda shared a new third-trimester pregnancy milestone while guest-hosting the third hour of NBC's Today on Tuesday, November 10, alongside anchors Dylan Dreyer and Craig Melvin. Filling in while regular co-host Al Roker was off for the day, Ikeda told the broadcast team and viewers that her first child with husband Pat has reached the size of a cantaloupe ahead of a January 2027 due date. The warm Tuesday morning update followed a lively start to the broadcast week on Monday, November 9, when Dreyer and Roker engaged in playful on-air banter regarding absent co-star Carson Daly's television schedule.

Emilie Ikeda's Third-Trimester Milestone on the Third Hour of 'Today'

During the opening moments of the Tuesday, November 10 broadcast of the third hour of Today, Dreyer welcomed Ikeda to the anchor desk while noting Roker's absence, according to TV Insider.

When Melvin asked the guest host how she was feeling, Ikeda offered a candid assessment of her progress.

"I'm chugging along. That's my go-to line. I'm chugging along the third trimester," Ikeda said on air. Providing a visual comparison for the audience, she added, "We're at a cantaloupe right now, the size of a cantaloupe."

Dreyer, who is a mother of three, noted the appeal of tracking weekly fetal growth comparisons. Ikeda agreed, explaining that checking the size updates has become a weekend routine. "It's like a little surprise. Every Sunday, I like to check for the first thing of the weekend morning," Ikeda remarked. Dreyer joked that she and Ikeda could discuss pregnancy "all day" before transitioning to the morning's news block, prompting Melvin, a father of two, to quip, "I'm here for it, though."

Playful Studio Banter: 'Dark Dylan' and Al Roker's Defense of Carson Daly

While Roker was absent for Ikeda's Tuesday appearance, he was front and center alongside Dreyer, Melvin, and Laura Jarrett during the Monday, November 9 broadcast.

Stepping in to host the daily "PopStart" entertainment segment usually led by Carson Daly, Dreyer opened the week by teasing her absent colleague, according to Yahoo Entertainment.

Referencing Daly's recent addition to the Saturday Today anchor lineup, Dreyer asked on air, "What — is the six-hour work-week catching up to Carson already?"

The remark drew immediate, lighthearted reactions from the studio crew. As reported by HELLO!, Roker, Melvin, and Jarrett acted jokingly shocked by the jab, telling Dreyer she "came in hot" and dubbing her "dark Dylan." Roker quickly stepped in to defend Daly, reminding his co-anchors and the audience that the former MTV host was in California filming live broadcasts for NBC's singing competition series The Voice, which premiered its milestone 30th season on November 9.

Navigating Breaking News and Commuting at 30 Weeks Pregnant

Off the studio set, Ikeda has also used her platform to document the practical realities of working in broadcast journalism while expecting. On Monday, November 9—the same day Dreyer and Roker sparred over Daly's schedule—the New Jersey-based correspondent posted an Instagram reel addressing the challenges of public transportation at 30 weeks pregnant, according to TODAY.com.

In the video, Ikeda noted that no fellow passengers offered her a seat during a crowded bus commute into New York City. "I just got off a 40-minute bus ride in New York City and in case you're wondering how many weeks pregnant you have to be before someone offers you their seat, I can tell you that the answer is not 30 weeks pregnant," she stated in the clip, captioning the post, "Chivalry apparently missed this bus."

Speaking further with TODAY.com, Ikeda explained that holiday season traffic had extended her Monday commute, forcing her to stand for an entire 45-minute bus ride. "I've noticed standing still is more difficult than walking during pregnancy because of lack of blood flow, so I was about five minutes away from choosing to sit on the ground," she joked.

While acknowledging that passengers absorbed in their phones might not have noticed she was more than seven months pregnant, she highlighted how a fellow commuter giving up a seat the previous week had brightened her evening.

The transit hurdles follow a demanding early pregnancy for the correspondent. Ikeda first surprised Dreyer, Melvin, and viewers with her pregnancy news live on air on August 31, revealing sonogram photos and announcing she was five months pregnant. Behind the scenes, she managed severe first-trimester nausea while chasing breaking news. During a July heatwave, Ikeda grew lightheaded and began blacking out while conducting an interview with former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios. She also relied on support from family, colleagues, prayer, and 15 minutes of lighthearted television before bed while covering the emotionally difficult trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy.

What Viewers Can Expect Ahead of Ikeda's Maternity Leave

For regular viewers of NBC's morning programming, Ikeda's frequent guest-hosting stints and field reports highlight the ensemble dynamics that drive Today, which airs weekdays at 7 a.m.

ET, and its third hour at 9 a.m. ET. As Ikeda approaches her January 2027 delivery window, audiences can expect to see her continue contributing to the network's news coverage and filling in at the anchor desk before taking parental leave.

When is Emilie Ikeda's exact due date and what is the baby's sex?

While Ikeda stated during her August 31 on-air announcement that she was five months pregnant and due in January, and TODAY.com reported on November 9 that she is 30 weeks along, an exact delivery date has not been publicly disclosed. Additionally, Ikeda and her husband, Pat, have chosen to wait until the birth to learn the baby's sex.

Was Dylan Dreyer's comment about Carson Daly a serious dispute?

No. Coverage of the November 9 broadcast confirms the exchange between Dreyer, Al Roker, Craig Melvin, and Laura Jarrett was entirely friendly studio teasing, with Roker clarifying that Daly was away fulfilling his hosting duties for the Season 30 premiere of The Voice.

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