Hoda Kotb & Kathie Lee Gifford Reunite on ‘Today’ to Surprise New Cohosts
What To Know
- Sheinelle Jones officially became the cohost of Today’s fourth hour with Jenna Bush Hager on Monday, January 12.
- The women were surprised by former fourth-hour hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford during the broadcast.
- Kotb and Gifford passed off a “wine torch” to the new Today With Jenna & Sheinelle hosts.
Sheinelle Jones officially joined Jenna Bush Hager to as the new cohost of Today‘s fourth hour during the Monday, January 12, episode, and the ladies were greeted with a special surprise during their show.
Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, who used to host the late-morning segment of the talk show, came to the set to quite literally pass the torch to Bush Hager and Jones. Kotb and Gifford walked in holding hands and wearing Team USA jackets. Kotb was carrying a massive wine glass with a paper torch inside, which she handed off to Bush Hager at the newsdesk.
Jone wiped away tears as Gifford greeted her with a hug and urged her not to ruin her makeup during the live segment. There were hugs all around before the women took their spots behind the desk to chat.
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“Can we just say how awesome you two look together? How amazing this day already is?” Kotb told Bush Hager and Jones. The former has been hosting Today’s fourth hour with rotating celebrity guests since Kotb’s departure from the morning show in January 2025. In December, it was confirmed that Jones would officially be her new cohost, with the program being renamed to Today With Jenna & Sheinelle.
Kotb and Bush Hager cohosted the fourth hour of Today from 2019 until Kotb’s exit. Prior to that, the hour-long program was hosted by Gifford and Kotb from 2008 to 2019.
While Kotb has made many appearances on Today since leaving the show, Gifford pops up less often. However, she was there to help send Kotb off during her final show one year ago.
After Jones was announced as Bush Hager’s new cohost, she spoke to Kotb to get some advice. The journalist revealed that Kotb gave her “45 seconds of wisdom that changed me,” adding, “She goes, ‘Don’t say anything, just listen.'”
She also recalled Kotb saying, “You’re gonna talk about how this was a moment that changed your career, and it was the best decision, for your kids, for you. Working with Jenna, it’s gonna be better than you could ever imagine.”
Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, Weekdays, 10a/9c, NBC
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