Sheinelle Jones has been given a promotion.
About a year after Hoda Kotb departed her gig on The Today Show, it was announced on Tuesday, December 9 that Jones will become Kotb’s replacement to join Jenna Bush Hager as the permanent co-host of the 10 a.m. hour.
In an Instagram post from the official series account, the program explained Jones will join Bush Hager “in the new year.”
“This marks an exciting new chapter for the fourth hour,” Today executives said in a statement this morning. “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.”
On the latest broadcast, Bush Hager started crying right away while thanking the viewers as she announced this exciting change.
“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,” Bush Hager said.
“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.”
Jones lost her husband last May, taking a subsequent hiatus from Today until opening up about the tragedy in an interview with Savannah Guthrie.
Jones currently co-hosts the third hour of Today with Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker and Craig Melvin. She’s been part of the Today family since 2014, starting on the Weekend Today team, before becoming rising to her most recent role in 2019.
Following Kotb’s exit in September 2024, it was announced that Craig Melvin would take over as Guthrie’s cohost for the first two hours of the NBC morning show.
Kotb’s seat in the fourth hour of the program, though, remained open … with the network cycling though guest hosts over the past year that included Scarlett Johannson, Amy Poehler, Matt Rogers and more.
It was even renamed Jenna & Friends during this time period.
“In this moment, I’m okay. Day-to-day, I’m okay. From a macro picture, how am I doing? My heart is shattered in a million pieces,” Jones told Guthrie on her first episode back following her husband’s death.
“The life that I’ve known since I was 19 is no more. I always wanted kids, and I have three kids of my own now and they lost their dad. I’m their mom, and it sucks. So, how am I doing? It’s day-to-day. I’m proud of myself for how I’ve coped so far. I’m proud of my kids for how we’ve been able to pull through, but it’s horrible.
“To watch a 45-year-old do triathlons and live and breathe off of soccer and his kids? To take a guy like that, and watch him have to deal with this fight was a nightmare,” she recalled of the rare form of brain cancer that took her spouse.
“The way he fought it and the way we rallied together and the way we saw the best of humanity was beautiful. So, it was my beautiful nightmare.”