Jenna Bush Hager went months with guest co-hosts after Hoda Kotb left. The show was temporarily renamed Jenna & Friends while the guest hosts seemingly auditioned for the role. But now the Today Show host revealed who she really wanted to get the job. Keep reading to find out more about her shocking admission.
Sheinelle Jones Chosen To Replace Hoda Kotb On Today
Jenna Bush Hager was once a Today Show newbie after replacing Kathie Lee Gifford on the show’s fourth hour. She worked with Hoda Kotb for nearly six years. However, Hoda Kotb took a step back from the morning news program in January 2025 to spend more time with her kids. Craig Melvin replaced her on the show’s first two hours. He already co-hosted the show’s third hour.
However, the network didn’t have a permanent replacement to join Jenna Bush Hager. Musicians, actors, comedians, and more entertainment stars filled the empty chair for ten months. Some of the most popular guest hosts included comedian Matt Rogers, actress Brooke Shields, and Bravo’s Andy Cohen. However, none of them were offered the position full-time.
Jenna Bush Hager announced in December 2025 that Sheinelle Jones would be joining her as permanent co-host starting in January 2026. The promotion came a few months after she returned to the show’s third hour following her husband’s tragic death in May 2025 from cancer.
Jenna Bush Hager Reveals Co-Host She Wanted Instead
Sheinelle Jones ultimately got the job, but was she the right choice? Some viewers have become uncomfortable amid claims of tension between the Jenna & Sheinelle hosts. If the rumors are true, things might be more tense after Jenna Bush Hager’s latest admission.
She revealed that she was convinced actress Scarlett Johansson was going to be her permanent co-host on the NBC morning program. The Marvel Universe star guest-hosted a few times during the Jenna & Friends era.
“I miss Scarlett. We want her to come back. I mean, I have a new host,” Jenna Bush Hager confessed to Scarlett Johansson’s husband, Colin Jost, when he was a guest on Wednesday, May 20. He was on the show to promote The Breadwinner, his upcoming movie with Mandy Moore, as well as a new season of Pop Culture Jeopardy! on Netflix.
“For a minute, I thought she was going to really take the job. But then I realized she gets more in a Super Bowl commercial than a whole year,” Jenna Bush Hager added. Colin Jost shared that Scarlett Johansson “loved” guest-hosting on the morning program.
“I think in another alternate universe, she would love doing it every day,” he told Jenna Bush Hager. Sheinelle Jones chimed in that the actress could come back “any time.”
Jenna Bush Hager admitted right in front of her co-host that she wished someone else had gotten the job. Share your reaction to the shocking admission in the comments.
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
