The “Today” show didn’t have to look far for a new host for its 10 a.m. hour, naming anchor Sheinelle Jones as the permanent co-host alongside Jenna Bush Hager.
The hour, which has seen a rotating cast of characters since Hoda Kotb’s departure in January, will be renamed “TODAY with Jenna and Sheinelle.” Jones starts her new role on Jan. 8, nearly a year to the day since Kotb’s exit.
Since Kotb left the show, the 10 a.m. hour has seen a plethora of co-hosts in the temporarily named “TODAY with Jenna & Friends.” Scarlett Johannson, Taraji P. Henson, Matt Rodgers, Octavia Spencer and Dwayne Wade have been some of the names to sit alongside Bush Hager.
Jones’ new role comes three months after she returned to the show following the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh, in May. Jones told “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie that, while her heart was “shattered in a million pieces,” she wanted to channel her strength into the show.
“I hope that just by me being on the set and me returning to work, it’s like, ‘OK, if I can do it, so can you,’” Jones said. “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.”
