Jenna Bush Hager has announced that Sheinelle Jones is her permanent co-host on Today.

The show was known as Today with Jenna and Friends after Hoda Kotb left the program in January. Since then, Jenna has had a litany of different co-hosts, but at the beginning of the December 9 show, Jenna tearfully announced that Sheinelle would be joining her in the new year and the show would be renamed Today with Jenna & Sheinelle starting on January 12.

As the show began, Jenna started by emotionally thanking the viewers and said, “We have got a very special show today. Over the last year, you guys, I have had the privilege of co-hosting this show with 60 incredible friends, who’ve all opened up to me, who inspired me, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve made some incredible friends, and I’ve learned so much about myself.”

It comes as Today Show fans were devastated by a missing co-host in the newly unveiled 2025 holiday card.

Jenna added: “And you the audience have been with me for the entire time, so thank you so much. Today I’m so thrilled to announce that I’ve found my forever friend and we’re gonna start a brand new journey in January.

“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,” Jenna added before a package played of Jenna and Sheinelle’s friendship and co-hosting segments.

Both women became emotional and Sheinelle took a seat next to Jenna as she said, “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or scream or do what!” Sheinelle added that being on the news and co-hosting a show like this was “beyond my wildest dreams.”

Sheinelle’s new role in the show’s fourth hour comes months after her husband tragically died from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Last year, Sheinelle took a leave of absence to take care of her husband, Uche Ojeh, who died in May of this year at the age of 45.

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In an interview with Savannah Guthrie four months after Uche’s death, Sheinelle said she would be returning to work and reminded fans, “If you see me now and you see me laughing, or you turn on the morning show and I’m laughing or having a good time, you root for me because I’m fighting for my joy.”

SOURCE: irishstar.com