The era of Today With Jenna & Friends is coming to a close.
Following Hoda Kotb‘s exit from the NBC morning show in January, Jenna Bush Hager took over hosting duties of the fourth hour of Today. Relaunched as Jenna & Friends, Bush Hager has spent the past year leading the series with a variety of fun celebrity guest hosts.
Following Jenna & Friends‘ first birthday early next year, the fourth hour will become Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, following Sheinelle Jones‘ first day as Bush Hager’s permanent cohost on January 12.
“[Hoda said,] ‘You’re gonna talk about how this was a moment that changed your career, and it was the best decision for your kids, for you,’” Jones said of Kotb’s reaction to her casting on the December 9 episode of the show. “She was like, ‘Working with Jenna, it’s gonna be better than you can ever imagine. You’re gonna love it.’”
With just a few weeks until the fourth hour of Today‘s latest rebrand, take a look back at some of Bush Hager’s most memorable Jenna & Friends cohosts and vote for your favorite in the poll below.
Sheinelle Jones
NBC
Jones returned to Today in September after taking several months off in the wake of her husband Uche Ojeh’s private brain cancer battle and death in May. Jones made her Jenna & Friends debut shortly after resuming her Today hosting duties. Jones’ week-long guest-hosting gig was full of both funny and tearful moments that showed off her and Bush Hager’s chemistry. Even before she joined Bush Hager on screen, Today fans vocalized their hopes that Jones would become the show’s permanent cohost.
Justin Sylvester
NBC
While Willie Geist has Sylvester beat for the title of the show’s “No. 1 Friend,” the E! personality became a frequent and beloved Jenna & Friends cohost among fans. His and Bush Hager’s off-screen friendship translated well to Today. The cancellation of E! News in July — not to mention Kotb’s stamp of approval — also had fans believing he could have become Bush Hager’s permanent “No. 1 Friend.”
Andy Cohen
NBC
No stranger to the world of TV, Cohen cohosted Jenna & Friends not once, but on four different occasions. His witty banter and high-energy personality made him a great match with Bush Hager. The two shared several funny onscreen moments together, from Cohen poking fun at the cleanliness of Bush Hager’s home to surprising her with special guests during her 44th birthday episode.
Dwyane Wade
NBC
A big surprise of Bush Hager’s Jenna & Friends cohosting lineup was Wade. The former NBA star joined the show twice, hosting several episodes in March and July. Not only has he gushed about his time on Today, but his and Bush Hager’s chemistry made them a loveable duo. Wade even earned Kotb’s stamp of approval when she made a behind-the-scenes visit to the show in March, “You’re crushing it!” she said while hugging him. “You’re so good, it’s sick.”
Matt Rogers
NBC
The actor and comedian has had three Jenna & Friends guest-hosting stints over the past few months. Bush Hager event pointed out how many fans want him as her cohost during the show’s October 15 episode.
“[A mother-daughter duo] watch the show after school, after they work, and they call each other during it. And the mom goes, ‘Yeah, and I met that adorable Matt Rogers on your show,’” she said of some fans she met at an event. “And the daughter was like, ‘Mom, we know him from Las [Culturistas].’ And she said all the moms are falling in love.”
Scarlett Johansson
NBC
Not only has Johansson vehemently expressed how much she has loved her Jenna & Friends cohosting gigs, but she has also become a favorite among the Today crew. “Scarlett Johansson is everybody’s favorite, but she happens to be Hollywood’s most expensive actor,” Carson Daly told Us Weekly in August. He added, “We can’t afford her, but she loves doing it.”
Leslie Bibb
NBC
Bibb has helped produce some of Jenna & Friends‘ most memorable moments over the past year, most notably convincing Bush Hager to get a bob haircut inspired by her The White Lotus Season 3 look live on-air. The actress also had a hilarious reaction to Bush Hager admitting she had 19 bridesmaids at her wedding.
Willie Geist
NBC
The Sunday Today host holds the title as Bush Hager’s “No. 1 Friend” on the show, as the duo have hosted nearly 30 episodes together since he made his Jenna & Friends debut in February.
“I am so honored. I actually didn’t know that,” Geist said after receiving the honor on the show’s December 18 episode. “I’m always so happy to be here with you, you know that. I would come if you called five minutes before the show. There’s nothing more fun than being on TV, or off TV, with Jenna.”
Olivia Munn
NBC
Munn has hosted two whole weeks of Jenna & Friends episodes, including one week in late March/early April, and the second in November. The actress has used her Today appearances to open up about her breast cancer journey, as well as give fans insight into her private life with her husband, John Mulaney, and their two kids.
Henry Hager
NBC
Bush Hager’s husband made his Jenna & Friends cohosting debut during the show’s “Family Week” in March. He made his wife tear up after airing a video package of himself asking other Today and NBC personalities for hosting advice, including Kotb. For Bush Hager’s birthday in November, Hager surprised her with news that he would return to cohost Jenna & Friends‘ Christmas and New Year’s Eve episodes.
Today With Jenna & Friends, Weekdays, 10 a.m./9c, NBC
