Four months after stepping away from the Today show, Hoda Kotb is keeping the door open for a potential reunion with her longtime cohost, Jenna Bush Hager.
While speaking exclusively to US Weekly on May 28 during the red carpet for her new wellness venture, Joy 101, Kotb said, “I’m a never-say-never person. I can imagine working with Jenna again one day.”
Kotb and Bush Hager previously cohosted Today With Hoda & Jenna for over five years, developing a close on- and off-air friendship.
While reflecting on their bond, Kotb added, “She and I say, secretly, ‘One day. I’ll see you in a couple years.’ I feel like there’s something there.”
Moreover, the pair reunited this week at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Center, where Kotb visited the set to promote Joy 101.
It was her first return to Today since leaving in January to focus on raising her daughters. The reunion was emotional for both anchors.
Kotb shared, “It felt like coming home in the best way. I still can’t believe what it felt like. I think this was the best day ever.”
Bush Hager, now cohosting Today With Jenna & Friends with rotating guests, was visibly emotional as she said, “I was expecting to cry and I was a little bit like, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry.’ But then, what can I do? It’s the energy,” while adding that she’s proud of Kotb’s next chapter.
Furthermore, Bush Hager continued, “She’s living her dream. I miss her and I’m cheering for her in a million different ways.”
Kotb echoed that admiration, saying, “I watched Jenna, and I marvel. There’s nobody like her.”
It is worth mentioning that Savannah Guthrie also weighed in, calling Kotb a permanent part of the Today family as she told US, “Her being there was like she never left. This is home for her. It always will be.”
