HEARTWARMING: Despite quitting her job, Hoda Kotb STILL PROTECTS Jenna Bush Hager in a VERY SPECIAL way through Hoda Kotb’s STORY
Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb worked alongside each other for years on Today‘s fourth hour. With Kotb’s departure from the series, Hager has recently looked back at their time together. Recently, Hager shared just how Kotb protected her in the past.
Fans Watched Today with Hoda & Jenna From 2019 To 2025
Hager joined the series’ fourth hour in 2019, making it Today with Hoda & Jenna. At the time, she was taking on the role from Kathie Lee Gifford, who worked with Kotb for eleven years.
Kotb herself announced she would be leaving Today back in 2024. Her final day on the show was January 10, 2025. Since then, Hager has been sharing hosting duties with a number of rotating guest hosts.
‘Today’ co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager – YouTube
Hager has since shared co-hosting duties with celebrities like Brooke Shields, Andy Cohen, and Tiffany Haddish, in addition to members of her own family. However, she hasn’t forgotten her time with Kotb.
Recently, Hager appeared on the “How She Does It with Karen Finerman” podcast, where she revealed how Kotb protected her. As she shared, “In the same way that I didn’t envision myself working at the Today show, I never envisioned Hoda leaving. And in fact, she kept saying, ‘Don’t sign your contract.’“
Hager mused that she originally didn’t understand what Kotb meant by this. She continued, “I thought she was saying that so we could link up our contracts and be there until the same time. But what she was doing was protecting me, because she knew I was gonna be doing the show on my own.”
Jenna Bush Hager Also Touched On Questions About Who Her Next Permanent Co-Host Could Be
Hager also shared her shock at Kotb’s previous announcement that she was leaving Today. She shared, “I didn’t ever have one inkling of a thought that she was about to say she was leaving.”
“I know she loved her work and loves her work. So leaving it wasn’t something I could wrap my mind around until I sat down with her and heard her reasoning.”
Kotb’s exit allowed the show to become Today with Jenna & Friends. Hager noted, “It was not something I chose. It was a shock and it was a disappointment at the time.”
For the time being, there is some speculation on who Hager’s next permanent host could be. For her part, she shared, “We will eventually have a permanent host, I think, but we don’t know.”
“And I’m Type A in a weird way. I’m not a perfectionist at all. But I also like planning. I like plans. I like to sort of know how things are gonna go.”
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