Sheinelle Jones will join Jenna Bush Hager as the permanent co-host for the 10 a.m. hour of NBC's Today show starting January 12. The announcement comes after Bush Hager has been paired with rotating guests since Hoda Kotb stepped away earlier this year. Jones, a Today veteran, brings her news background and warmth to the role.
Announcement Details
NBC has selected Sheinelle Jones to be the permanent co-anchor alongside Jenna Bush Hager for the 10 a.m. hour of the Today show. The duo is set to make the formal announcement live on Tuesday, December 10, 2025. Jones will begin her new role on January 12 and continue to appear in earlier hours of the program when possible.
Background on the Hosts
Sheinelle Jones joined NBC News in 2014 after working as an anchor and correspondent at stations in Illinois, Oklahoma, and Philadelphia's WTXF. She has co-anchored the weekend edition of Today and the 9 a.m. weekday hour. In 2025, Jones took a leave to care for her husband, Uche Ojeh, who passed away from brain cancer in May. She returned to the air in September, and viewers have shown continued interest in her story.
Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former President George W. Bush, transitioned from teaching and writing to television. She joined NBC after publishing books and has built a popular book club segment. Earlier this year, she took over the 10 a.m. lead role following Hoda Kotb's departure from daily duties. Since then, the hour has featured guest co-hosts like Eva Longoria and Taraji P. Henson.
Strategic Move for NBC
The pairing aims to combine Jones's traditional news expertise with Bush Hager's engaging personality to compete in daytime TV against shows like ABC's Live with Kelly and Mark and CBS's The Drew Barrymore Show. NBC executives see potential in their rapport, similar to past successful duos like Kotb and Gifford. Talia Parkinson-Jones remains the executive producer for the hour.
Bush Hager has emphasized introducing diverse voices: "I feel like our audience deserves the time to get to know a ton of different people, ton of different backgrounds." This change continues NBC's pattern of promoting internal talent, as seen with Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin.