TEARS TODAY: Sheinelle Jones breaks down on TV as messages are played, leaving Jenna Bush Hager deeply moved

 Sheinelle Jones crying on air.

During Monday’s show, in which Sheinelle guest-hosted Today’s fourth hour for the first time since her husband’s d3ath, Jenna revealed a touching surprise for the beloved anchor.

 

Sheinelle Jones crying on-air next to Jenna Bush Hager.

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Sheinelle Jones and Jenna Bush Hager cried during the fourth hour of Today ShowCredit: NBC

Jenna introduced a series of clips from Sheinelle’s closest friends, in which they explained how they were able to be there for the anchor and her family during her husband, Uche Ojeh’s, devastating brain cancer battle.

As the clips played, an emotional Sheinelle began to cry.

At one point, the anchor had to leave her seat to grab a tissue and came back, while wiping away the tears that kept coming.

In one clip, a d3ar friend of Sheinelle’s said, “Sheinelle and Uche allowed their community to love them. They allowed us to be there with them, even in the chaos, and I’m so grateful for that, because we got to make new memories and spent real time together.”

And yet another close friend said “Sheinelle has been on a pretty awesome restorative tour, and to see a light emerge in her – she just commands the room a lot differently.”

After the clips were over, Jenna announced another surprise, and this time it was that all of her friends were in studio to join them.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t just Sheinelle who had to handle the waterworks; an emotional Jenna also had a hard time keeping it together in the first block of the show.

JENNA BUSH HAGER’S TEARFUL MOMENT

Jenna recalled watching her friend and fellow anchor’s strength as she handled her husband’s demise and d3ath with grace and dignity.

Jenna, as she spoke to Sheinelle, said “Can I just say something about you… I’m going to cry, you know me…. but I’ve never met anybody stronger.”

Jenna said she had to take this opportunity to tell Sheinelle what it was like to bear witness to her strenght.

“Watching you over the last year has been remarkable. And I like when you just said, ‘I want to give [Uche] the best.’

“I remember sitting at his funeral thinking, and I’ve been to state funerals and such, there’s never been a more beautiful funeral. Never. And you did all that,” she said through tears.

As The U.S. Sun previously exclusively revealed, Sheinelle is a frontrunner to take over the seat alongside Jenna that was vacated by Hoda Kotb at the start of this year.

As The U.S. Sun first revealed in February, Sheinelle Jones, 47, is a favourite among staff and executives to fill the fourth-hour slot on Today, which was vacated by Hoda Kotb when she stepped away from the show in January.

An insider shared that Sheinelle is the id3al candidate for the role, noting, “They want an adult in the room, someone who has TV in their bones, and Sheinelle has been on TV since she was 19.”

The fourth hour of Today has seen success with rotating hosts since Hoda’s departure, but executives are also considering NBC’s Willie Geist and actor and podcaster Matt Rogers for the position.

HODA’S HINT?
Back in June, Hoda Kotb hinted at Sheinelle as a possible replacement during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live.

WWHL host Andy Cohen asked Hoda her thoughts on potential replacements and who she believed should take over.

Reflecting on the question, Hoda said, “I mean, anybody would be so lucky. But to me, the contenders are Savannah [Guthrie]; I think she would be great; I think Justin Sylvester is amazing.”

She continued, “Scarlett Johansson crushed it,” echoing the sentiments of fans who praised the Avengers star’s guest stint.

Hoda added, “Matt Rogers is great, and also our d3ar friend Sheinelle Jones.

“I feel like it’s whoever clicks great with Jenna. I think that’s the one.”

At the time, Sheinelle was still on leave.

In February, a source told The U.S. Sun that NBC was keen on promoting Sheinelle after witnessing the success of elevating Craig Melvin to Hoda’s news-driven co-anchor spot alongside lead anchor Savannah Guthrie.

“Ratings with Craig are good. This taught executives that the aud!ance wants people they know and that they should promote from within,” the source explained.