Hoda Kotb Is Temporarily Replaced by Sheinelle Jones on ‘Today’ After Shocking Announcement

On Wednesday, April 10, Hoda Kotb was noticeably absent from the first two hours of Today. Fans were a little confused as to why she was missing after recently returning from spring break.

Instead of being greeted by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda, 59, at the top of the show, viewers were greeted by Savannah, 52, Sheinelle Jones and Craig Melvin. Savannah explained that Hoda was “on assignment.”

Later on in the episode, Craig, 44, Savannah and Sheinelle, 45, joined Al Roker and Carson Daly for the show’s usual pop culture segment.

The Mostly What God Does author later explained that Hoda, along with Jenna Bush Hager, are currently traveling to New Orleans. The cohosting duo are gearing up for the fifth anniversary celebration of Today With Hoda & Jenna.

“It feels so profound to sit next to somebody who exudes joy no matter what you have going on,” Jenna said during an episode of the talk show on Monday, April 8. Hoda replied, “We’re an us, which is big.”

“A lot of times friendships don’t grow. … Not ours. Every day it’s something different,” Hoda added.

Jenna hopes that she can continue her successful talk show run with Hoda well into the future.

“I see Hoda and I sitting right there together for the next five years, growing together, learning together, doing more wild and fun things for the very first time together,” the former first daughter said.

Hoda recently returned to Today after she went on a spring vacation with her daughters, Haley and Hope. The mom of two shared glimpses of her summer vacation with her girls on her Instagram account on March 21.

Shortly after the fun getaway, Hoda shockingly announced she was moving with her daughters. The family is looking forward to starting their next chapter in a new home in the New York area.

​​“I was thinking about moving. My kids and I are going to move somewhere to a new school, and I was reflecting on my life and how many times we moved when I was a kid,” she said on her “Making Space” podcast. “And I remember once my parents moved us to Nigeria, I was in fourth grade, I was horrified. Like, we get to this place, the language was different, everybody seemed different and it was hard. I moved again in sixth grade.”