Overview
- Hoda Kotb privately urged Jenna Bush Hager not to sign a new Today contract to protect her from running the fourth hour alone.
- Bush Hager said she had no inkling of Kotb’s departure until their final conversation confirmed the host’s plans to leave in January.
- Since Kotb’s exit, Bush Hager has co-hosted Today’s fourth hour with 50 different celebrities, likening the rotating lineup to “dating.”
- Bush Hager expects NBC to appoint a permanent cohost eventually but confirmed that no official selection has been made.
- Kotb is focusing on expanding her Joy101 wellness venture and makes occasional NBC appearances for special projects.