Jenna Bush Hager’s new Today show co-anchor has been announced a year after Hoda Kotb left the show.
Sheinelle Jones will join Hager as her permanent co-host starting January 12 on the 10 a.m. show, now called Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.
“Today I am so thrilled to announce that I found my forever friend and we are going to start a brand new journey in January,” Hager said through tears during Tuesday’s live show. “I couldn’t be more excited to share this person with you all. You all know her, she’s an extraordinary broadcaster. But more importantly, she exemplifies exactly what this show is all about."
Jones, 47, said in a pre-recorded segment: “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or scream.”
The new co-anchor, who was also in tears, joined Hager on stage Tuesday and reflected on her departure from Today earlier this year due to the death of her husband.
“You could not write this script,” Jones said. “When I came back from leave, I talked about fighting for your joy — this is what that looks like.”
She added that it feels as though the massive career move was orchestrated by her late husband, Uche Ojeh, who died in May at age 45 from an aggressive form of brain cancer. The couple shared four children.
Jones added that Kotb called her Monday night and gave her 45 seconds of “wisdom that changed me” and told her this was the “best decision.”
“It’s going to be better than you could ever imagine,” Kotb told her. The longtime anchor left the show in January after spending 26 years with NBC.
Craig Melvin was announced as Kotb’s replacement for her co-anchor position on the desk, but Hager spent the last year hosting the network’s flagship morning show with celebrity guests including Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Obama, and Andy Cohen.
“This marks an exciting new chapter for the fourth hour,” Today executive vice president Libby Leist and Jenna & Friends executive producer Talia Parkinson-Jones said in a statement.
“Jenna and Sheinelle are two extraordinary talents who have grown within the ranks of Today. They are beloved for their authenticity, warmth and genuine connection with our Today audience."
Jones joined Weekend Today in 2014 and became a co-host for the show’s third hour in 2019.
While the anchor will step away from the 9 a.m. show to join Jenna & Sheinelle, co-hosts Melvin, Al Roker, and Dylan Dreyer will stay on the third hour of the show.
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