Followers had been left shocked after longtime Right this moment Present co-anchor Hoda Kotb introduced in September 2024 that she’d retire from this system (and community TV as an entire). Kotb in the end signed off for the ultimate time on January 10, 2025. At current, NBC is able wherein it should discover a successor for Kotb, who not solely labored on the primary present but additionally co-hosted this system’s fourth hour, Right this moment with Hoda and Jenna. The opposite half of that duo, Jenna Bush Hager, simply offered an replace, and it leaves me a bit stunned.
Since Hoda Kotb’s departure, her and Jenna Bush Hager’s present has been retitled Right this moment with Jenna & Mates. On this present state, this system sees Hager being paired up with a distinct visitor host over completely different stretches of time. Hager lately caught up with Individuals and was straight-up requested how the seek for Kotb’s substitute was progressing. Imagine it or not, the media persona appeared to offer a considerably informal reply:
We’re nonetheless looking. We positively need someone everlasting in some unspecified time in the future simply because that is our present, and I feel the Right this moment present is such a household. So to have someone sit in that seat means quite a bit to all of us. So it can occur. I feel we have all simply been form of dwelling day-to-day and we have no developments but, however we are going to.
Based mostly on that response, it sounds just like the powers that be are actively in search of another person to tackle the gig. Nevertheless, Jenna Bush Hager’s feedback additionally give me the impression that the producers aren’t in a rush to search out somebody. I can actually perceive the group eager to take their time relating to discovering one other anchor. Nevertheless, I might’ve thought that the search can be a bit faster, on condition that it is a place for one of many largest discuss reveals on TV we’re speaking about.
Apparently sufficient, these feedback do appear to trace with sentiments that had been shared by the Learn All About! writer earlier this yr. She requested that the general public “sit back” when it got here to the search and opined that the viewers “deserves the time to get to know a ton of various folks, ton of various backgrounds.” At this level, there have certainly been quite a lot of notable stars to function visitor host. Scarlett Johansson, Taraji P. Henson, Bowen Yang and Dwyane Wade are just some of the A-listers which have all been on the present in latest months.
Hoda Kotb, in the meantime, appears content material together with her resolution to depart community TV. She beforehand chalked up her option to a need to strive new endeavors and spend time together with her two daughters, Hayley Pleasure (9) and Hope Catherine (5). Kotb was in the end changed in her place by Craig Melvin, who obtained some sort phrases from his predecessor as he began his tenure. Regardless of her obvious retirement from TV, Kotb was caught up in rumors, as insiders claimed she was going to take over The Kelly Clarkson Present. Kotb finally shot down that hypothesis when she returned to Right this moment for an interview.
It could be shocking that NBC has but to discover a new star to affix Right this moment and work with Jenna Bush Hager, however I’m hopeful that the producers will use the time properly to search out the appropriate particular person. As of this writing, no timetable has been set for any form of official announcement. For now, viewers can get pleasure from Jenna & Mates because it continues to air amid the 2025 TV schedule.