When Hoda Kotb stepped away from The Today Show in early 2025, it left Jenna Bush Hager without a co-host. The pair previously hosted the morning show’s fourth hour, Hoda & Jenna. NBC brought in a rotating slate of celebrity guest hosts, including comedian Matt Rogers. Many viewers wanted him to get the permanent hosting spot, but he didn’t. He opened up about not getting the huge promotion that would have changed his life.
Jenna Bush Hager’s New Permanent Co-Host Makes Debut Next Week
Hoda Kotb still works with NBC and the Today Show, but in a limited role. Her next gig is hosting the Winter Olympics in February. But Jenna Bush Hager still needed a permanent co-host for the show’s fourth hour. After months of guest hosts, NBC finally gave the job to someone.
Sheinelle Jones has been part of the NBC News family since 2014. Her co-hosts and viewers rallied around her last year when her husband passed away after a battle with brain cancer. She returned to the morning show in September after a long leave of absence.
After years of co-hosting the show’s third hour, she was named Jenna Bush Hager’s permanent co-host for the fourth hour. Jenna & Sheinelle premieres on Monday, January 12.
Today Guest Host Matt Rogers Responds To Not Getting Big Promotion
A lot of viewers thought the guest-hosting gigs were secret auditions to find Hoda Kotb’s replacement. But now that NBC named Sheinelle Jones, some fans suspect that was the network’s plan all along.
Comedian Matt Rogers was among the repeat guest hosts on Jenna & Friends. He was one of the viewers’ top contenders for permanent co-host. But that didn’t happen. He addressed the snub on a recent episode of the Las Culturistas podcast he co-hosts with former Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang.
First, Matt Rogers assured listeners that he’s still friends with Jenna Bush Hager despite not getting the co-host position. He recalled making a joke about it during his last turn as guest co-host.
“I’m the last friend and so I made a whole joke about how that meant I was second place,” he told Bowen Yang. Matt Rogers cleared up the belief that he should have gotten the promotion.
“But by the way, I do wanna say, I knew the entire time I wasn’t getting that job. I did not want that job,” he said. He later clarified that he never wanted to work that schedule in New York City full-time. Furthermore, he said that Sheinelle Jones was the right choice.
While Matt Rogers wasn’t disappointed in not getting the Today Show job, he was flattered by the attention. “I liked being in that conversation, it was fun,” he said.
His remarks mirror another guest co-host who said they knew they weren’t getting the job either. But both celebrities said they enjoyed their time co-hosting alongside Jenna Bush Hager.
Tell us in the comments if you think NBC made the right choice with Sheinelle Jones.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
