Debate Moderator Kristen Welker's Husband John Hughes Is Not THAT John Hughes

NBC journalist Kristen Welker's husband has a familiar name that may lead you to think you've seen him somewhere before. It turns out, his name is just a coincidence. Welker is married to John Hughes, but he's not the late filmmaker.

Welker, who will moderate the second Presidential Debate on Thursday night, married Huges in 2017 after meeting on a blind date in 2014. Hughes was a marketing director at Merck at the time they met while Welker was already deep in the breaking news game.

A detailed account of the pair's meeting and eventual marriage published by the New York Times in 2017 revealed Welker was starting to question her own romantic capabilities when she neared 40 without a strong relationship until she met Hughes on a blind date. Balancing work and dating wasn't easy, but the connection was strong enough for the couple to see through the career obstacles and commit to each other.

The moment Hughes won Welker over? On their second date, he gifted her a handmade crossword puzzle crafted from presidential trivia.

Notably, Hughes has the same name as the man responsible for The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and so many more '80s films that are still beloved for story and nostalgia. That Hughes, though, died in 2009 when he had a heart attack during a casual walk, according to ABC News. Hughes did have a wife at the time of his death: Nancy Ludwig.

Welker will moderate what's considered the final Presidential debate, though it's only the second this year. A third was scheduled though President Donald Tump's COVID diagnosis led to two separate town hall conversations by Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden instead.

The NBC journalist has an impressive resume including years as a journalist on ABC affiliate stations and her current position as a reporter on NBC's Weekend Today. She just picked up the role in January.

The first debate was moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, and it was notably wild. Viewers from professional news organizations to American couches were stunned by the volatile nature of the first debate, and the number of interruptions, primarily by Trump, when Wallace asked questions.

In an attempt to keep Thursday's debate civil, new rules will be instated. One, which has nothing to do with Welker, will see microphones turned off when the other debater is talking, CNN reported.