Sheinelle Jones Given Permanent Co-Host Role on 'Today'

After months away from the camera and a deeply personal loss, Sheinelle Jones is officially returning to daytime TV — and she's taking on one of the show's most high-profile seats.

Sheinelle Jones is officially taking on a new role at NBC as the permanent co-host of the fourth hour of the "Today" show. She will join Jenna Bush Hager on the rebranded hour, which will be known as "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle" and is set to premiere on Monday, January 12, 2025.

The appointment comes at a deeply personal moment in Jones’ life. Before the news was shared publicly, she told her three children first: Kayin, 16, and 13-year-old twins Clara and Uche Jr. She shares all three with her late husband, Uche Ojeh, who died in May 2025 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Jones had been on a leave of absence from the NBC morning show for months leading up to the announcement of Ojeh’s death. The couple had been married for nearly 18 years, having tied the knot on September 2, 2007.

His passing marked a heartbreaking turning point for the family, and Jones stepped away from the cameras to focus on caring for her husband and their children through his illness and its aftermath.

As she returns to a more prominent on-screen role, Jones has expressed that she wants this new chapter to represent more than just a career milestone.

She hopes her position on "Today" will serve as a symbol of hope for viewers who may be navigating grief, illness, or other life-altering challenges of their own. For her, stepping back into the studio is part of a larger story about rebuilding a life in the wake of loss.

"Today with Jenna & Sheinelle" arrives nearly a year after former co-host Hoda Kotb exited the fourth hour of "Today" to devote more time to her daughters, Haley Joy, 8, and Hope Catherine, 6.

In the time since Kotb’s departure, Bush Hager has fronted the hour with a rotating lineup of celebrity guest co-hosts under the banner "Today with Jenna & Friends." More than 60 stars have joined her at the desk, keeping the format lively while NBC considered a permanent co-host.

Jones’ history with "Today" and her established rapport with Bush Hager made her a natural choice to step into the role. She is a familiar face to viewers and has long been part of the broader "Today" family, which helps ease the transition from a guest-heavy format to a more stable co-hosting team.

Her return to the fourth hour also follows a significant on-screen moment earlier this year. Jones appeared on the "Today" show in September 2025 as a guest alongside Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin.

That visit included a pre-taped interview with Guthrie, marking Jones’ first on-camera conversation since taking her leave in mid-December 2024. In the segment, she opened up about her grief after losing her husband and reflected on how his illness and death changed her perspective.

Now, as she settles into her new chair beside Bush Hager, Jones’ presence on "Today" represents both continuity and renewal. The show gains a seasoned broadcaster with a personal story that may resonate deeply with viewers, while Jones herself steps into a role that allows her to honor her past and embrace what comes next.

With "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle" ready to launch, the fourth hour is poised to blend heartfelt conversations, celebrity interviews, and lighthearted moments — anchored by a co-host who knows firsthand what it means to weather life’s hardest seasons and keep moving forward.