Sheinelle Jones Is the ‘Today’ Show’s New Co-Host
Nearly a year after Hoda Kotb’s departure, the Today show has found itself a new co-host. Sheinelle Jones was announced as Kotb’s replacement on Tuesday, joining Jenna Bush Hager on the fourth hour of NBC’s morning show. Her first show as co-host will be on January 12.
Bush Hager announced her new co-worker on the show Tuesday, breaking down in happy tears pretty much as soon as she began speaking. “Today, I’m so thrilled to announce I have found my forever friend, and we are going to start a brand-new journey in January,” Bush Hager said. “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 has been part of Today for over a decade: She joined the show’s weekend team in 2014 and has been co-hosting the 3rd Hour of Today since 2019. She and Bush Hager share a long working history and have filled in as co-hosts on the show in the past. In a segment introducing Jones, the new co-host said stepping into this role is “beyond my wildest dreams.” Bush Hager added, “I’m so excited about this new iteration of this show because it has been, first started by Kathie Lee 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 went on, “So now, to get to sit next to Sheinelle — I’ve known her for a decade, but to get to fall even more in love with her will be, I think, a beautiful chapter in this show.”
Last November, Jones took a leave of absence from NBC to care for her husband, Uche Ojeh, after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He died in May at age 45. Speaking about her new role, Jones said it feels “healing.” “For those of you who are holding something, whether it’s grief or pain or whatever you’re holding, I just hope you know that if you see me here, that means you can do it too,” she said. “And we’re all gonna fight for our joy. When you see me laughing and when you see me having a good time with my sister-friend here, that means you can get up and conquer your day, too.”
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