Hoda Kotb’s Nostalgic Return with Jenna Bush Hager Stirs Buzz of Future Collaborations

Hoda Kotb stepped away from the Today show this past January, but her journey with former cohost Jenna Bush Hager may not be over for good. “I’m a never say never person,” Kotb, 60, told Us Weekly during the launch event for her new platform Joy 101 on Wednesday, May 28. “I can absolutely see myself teaming up with Jenna again someday.”

Kotb revealed that the possibility of reuniting with Bush Hager, 43, still lingers in her mind. “It’s something I’ve thought about. We often joke and say, ‘In a few years, I’ll see you again,’” she shared. “It feels like there’s a door still open.”

For more than five years, Kotb and Bush Hager shared the anchor desk on Today With Hoda and Jenna, following Kotb’s earlier partnership with Kathie Lee Gifford, which ran from 2008 to 2019. Kotb also coanchored Today with Savannah Guthrie starting in 2018, continuing her long journey with NBC News that began in 1998.

Since leaving Today, Kotb has focused on spending quality time with her daughters, but she recently returned to 30 Rockefeller Center to promote Joy 101, her new wellness app. Reuniting with her former colleagues brought an overwhelming wave of emotion.

“Being back felt like coming home in the best way,” Kotb said. “The love and warmth were indescribable. I’m still trying to process how deeply moving that experience was. It truly was one of the best days of my life.”

Bush Hager, overcome with emotion, shared, “I knew I’d cry. I told myself, ‘Don’t cry, hold it in.’ But the moment was just too powerful.”

Now hosting Today With Jenna and Friends alongside a rotating cast of guest cohosts, Bush Hager spoke with admiration about Kotb’s impact. “She’s such a source of inspiration. I’m incredibly proud of her. My tears were tears of joy,” she said.

Kotb, in turn, was moved by Bush Hager’s growth. “Watching Jenna, I’m in awe. She’s remarkable absolutely one of a kind,” Kotb said.

While Bush Hager expressed gratitude for Kotb’s return to the studio, she also recognized the importance of Kotb pursuing her new path. “She’s living her dream,” Bush Hager said. “What we’ve built over the last five months is something we’re truly proud of. I miss her deeply and wish her nothing but continued success.”

Savannah Guthrie echoed that sentiment, reaffirming Kotb’s permanent place within the Today family. “Having her back felt completely natural,” Guthrie told Us Weekly. “It was as if she had never left. This is her home, and always will be.”

Reflecting on their reunion, Guthrie added, “Being on the plaza with Hoda was thrilling. Having her on the couch again let us all catch up and celebrate the next chapter in her incredible journey.”