The world of morning TV will look a little different as the 2025 television schedule plows ahead, with longtime Today Show anchor Hoda Kotb stepping away from her desk-bound duties alongside a number of familiar faces who will be a sad bunch whenever she’s officially gone. But even thought that day is just over the horizon, Jenna Bush Hager confirmed that she’s not in any hurry to jump into the process of finding a permanent replacement, despite being involved with the decision.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hager has had some fun on the air when it comes to the impending exit, sometimes trolling her co-anchor with Gayle King’s help, and sometimes taking the extra step to truly surprise Kotb while filming. (More on the latest iteration of that below.) The two have obviously become very close over the years, and when Hager talked to Variety while filming a new solo opening for Today’s fourth hour, she addressed the behind-the-scenes task at hand with finding someone comparable to her fellow Daytime Emmy winner. As she put it:
I am involved.
But just because she's part of the decision-making process doesn't mean she's in a hurry to get it all ironed out and ready for audiences. Because her screen partner was such a vital part of enjoying the job, Hager understands that trying to seek out the exact same dynamic is a fool's errand, and she's more interested in landing just the right alchemy. And she has no problem telling others to be patient with her, saying:
What I loved about doing the show was Hoda, you know? . . . Chill out. I feel like our audience deserves the time to get to know a ton of different people, ton of different backgrounds. We’re hoping to pull up the chairs to all different types of people. I think there will be some surprises for sure. And so it’s like when we know, I think we’ll know.
There's no exact measurement to apply to "a ton of different people," but it sounds like Jenna Bush Hager truly is ready to embrace guest host mode for a long stretch. And executive producer Talia Parkinson-Jones spoke to the fact that while one temporary co-anchor may only stick around for a single broadcast, others may be involved for upwards of a week, with some falling in between those two extremes.
Parkinson-Jones also gave props to Hoda Kotb and addressed the fact that the goal isn't necessarily to carbon-copy her chemistry with Hager, but to find a similar parallel. As she put it:
Hoda is the queen, you know, and she brings something so special. I don’t think you can ever replicate that. We’re in this new version of the show, and it’s really Jenna’s dating. We get a chance to meet different people, and we’ll fall in love one day, but until then we’re just having a really good time.
Considering Hager has been sticking with that "dating" metaphor for the lineup of guests hosts on the way, one has to wonder just how far she's going to take that notion. Especially since her first week of co-hosts includes three extremely popular women. Not to mention she's been married to Henry Chase Hager since 2008.
Speaking to that, the very first guest to share the stage with Jenna Bush Hager in solo mode on January 13 will be Taraji P. Henson, who will also be in the mix for Kotb's final episode on January 10. The remainder of the week's eps will feature the likes of Eva Longoria and Keke Palmer.
Now check out Hoda Kotb getting surprised this morning by her Tri Delta sorority sisters appearing to kick off her final week on Today.
Hoda Kotb, who has already put it out there that her friendship with Hager is her big takeaway going into 2025, shared her own thoughts about a replacement, though her suggestion was just a vague and kind-hearted plea for the future choice to be someone who has similarly stellar chemistry with Jenna Bush Hager. So everyone is on the same page here, and I can't wait to see who else pops up each morning as the weeks go by.
