Morgan Radford is glowing. I can’t see it as we talk on the phone of course, but I can certainly hear the joy and enthusiasm in her voice. She’s enjoying a season, or better yet, a year, of abundance. She’s a newlywed, having said “I do” to husband David Williams in January. She recently announced that the couple is expecting their first child. And on top of that, she just started a new gig. In addition to being NBC News NOW anchor and an NBC News correspondent (which includes working on the Today show), she is now the co-anchor of NBC News Daily, which airs on NBC and streams on NBC NOW. The 34-year-old is floating on cloud nine.
“This chapter feels magical,” Radford tells ESSENCE. “This year happened so quickly in the best possible way and also in the most unexpected way. It feels like the best chapter yet.”
Radford and Williams, 37, met while students at Harvard in 2006. After finally going from friends to becoming an item in 2017, they wed in front of loved ones in Cartagena, Colombia this past January. Married life, according to her, has brought great peace.
“David has given me rest. I didn’t even know I needed it. I mean, he just really gave my spirit rest,” she says. “He’s home. We are home wherever we are together. For me, it gives me a place to just be, to sit and enjoy and dream and spark adventure all while I get to feel safe and loved without condition. When you have that, it changes your world. So for me, it’s been great.”
She didn’t think it could get any better until she found out she was pregnant. The news, which she revealed publicly in August, was a welcomed surprise, as Radford froze her eggs years ago while single as a form of security for the future. She didn’t know what life would bring and when, so she made the decision so she wouldn’t have to worry about it.
“It was a great decision for me to feel empowered and to feel relaxed,” she says. “And this pregnancy for me, it really does show the beauty of the universe and in things happening on their own time and in their own way. This was the most beautiful surprise. And despite all my planning and preparation for all those possibilities, this was the time that God said was right.”
As she preps for this newest chapter, in true journalist fashion, she’s currently focused on weaning guidance from the “auntie circle” on what to expect.
“I am totally ready for the unsolicited advice,” she jokes. “I make my living learning and listening. This is no different.”
When she’s not preparing her mind for motherhood, and enjoying her mom’s signature egg sandwiches, one of her cravings, Radford is doing what she does best — reporting the news. She gets to do so in her newest post as co-anchor of NBC News Daily. The program features news of the day, as well as in-depth health, financial, consumer, climate and parenting stories.
“This is another baby I’m excited to have — almost just as excited if I’m honest,” she says. “We’re able to give people news in real time. But what’s also great is that I also get to meet viewers where they are and tell stories that they care about and that affect them.”
She’s excited to take the stories that are impacting communities and bring them to people, with the help of guests and experts, both on national television and also through streaming.
“This is actually the future. This is linear, and this is streaming at the same time. This is what the future looks like. And to be able to be in people’s homes in the traditional ways they’re used to, and in newer places where we can be everywhere, it’s just a great way to connect. And for me, that is what this industry and this job is always about. It is about connection and this just amplifies our ability to do that.”
To say Radford has a lot to look forward to is an understatement. She’s seeing significant things come to fruition, from marrying her best friend, preparing to have her first child and building the thriving career she once called a “dream.” She’s well-aware of how blessed she is and can’t wait to see what comes next.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Radford says. “Some days I wake up before my alarm clock because I’m so excited about what the day brings. There’s some days that I just Marvel at how beautiful this life turned out, more beautiful in ways that I couldn’t have even imagined.”
NBC News Daily is NBC News’ midday news program with the latest national and international news airing across both broadcast and streaming – on NBC & NBC News NOW (NBC News’ 24/7 streaming news network). On streaming, Radford will co-anchor live from 12 to 2 p.m. EST. For broadcast, check your local listings.
