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Jenna Bush Hager was moved to tears as she expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming chapter of Today with Jenna during Tuesday morning’s broadcast on December 9th.
Nearly a year since Hoda Kotb’s departure from daytime television, Bush Hager revealed that Sheinelle Jones, a veteran anchor from Today, will become her permanent co-host for the fourth hour of the show. The announcement was made at the start of the hour, followed by a touching pre-recorded segment that celebrated their shared history on the air.
During the segment, Bush Hager highlighted the deep bond she shares with Jones, saying, “What people may not know is that Sheinelle and I have this long, beautiful history.” She further expressed her admiration, stating, “I’ve watched her, I loved her, I’ve gotten to know her friends. I knew her husband.”
Expressing her anticipation, Bush Hager declared her excitement for the “new iteration of the show.” Set to premiere on January 12th, the fourth hour will officially become Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, marking a fresh start with Jones as a permanent fixture.
Reflecting on the show’s legacy, Bush Hager said, “It has been, first started by Kathie Lee [Gifford] and Hoda, a show about friendship. A show about the goodness that you can find in the world if you surround yourself with people who see you and who love you.”
She added, “I’ve known [Sheinelle] for a decade but to get to fall even more in love with her will be, I think, a beautiful chapter in the show.”
In the segment, Jones became emotional as she reflected on the difficult year she’s had. She took a leave of absence from her hosting duties at the start of the year to tend to her husband, Uche Ojeh, who later passed away from cancer at the age of 45.
“God knows I’ve had a rollercoaster of a year. I’ve been through a lot,” Jones said in the segment. “I’m surrounded by people who were with me in the fight. It was really hard and you just don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
After the segment, Bush Hager welcomed Jones to join her in her new, permanent seat on the show. The pair shared a hug as they gushed over how excited they were for this next chapter.
Jones said she could not have expected her life to look like a year ago, when she first decided to step back from work to focus on her family and her husband’s health.
“You couldn’t write this script,” she told Bush Hager. “It feels divine. It feels like Uche’s up there with God.”
Today with Jenna & Friends airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.
