Hoda Kotb 'so proud' as Today 'magic reignites' with Sheinelle Jones

Hoda Kotb is over the moon after meeting the two women who took over the show she once kicked off.

Sheinelle Jones has officially joined the Today Show and made her debut as Jenna Bush Hager's new cohost, after Kotb said goodbye to the show last year.

Now Kotb is proud of Hager taking the seat of the fourth-hour show as the main broadcaster.

"First of all, I feel honored to have been one of the stewards of this show. Honored. And I think what is so touching to me is I watched Jenna as kind of a baby learn the ropes, and now, as a proud mom, I'm watching her, number one, carry [the show] for an entire year. I watched her, and I was so proud," she said in a recent chat with People.

Kotb went on to say, "And now, to watch Jenna and Sheinelle have a place where magic is reigniting again, to me, is one of the most satisfying feelings."

Jones marked her first day at the show on January 12, while Kotb and her former cohost, Kathie Lee Gifford, also made surprise appearances during the live show.

Kotb told Jones on air that she is confident the show is going to be "wildly successful" and gushed she felt like "a proud mom" of her former cohost Bush and Jones.

"All you want is for the show to continue to be wildly successful. And by the way, I have not a shadow of doubt that it is going to be wildly successful, so I feel proud. I feel like a proud mom going, Look at my girls. Look at them. They're doing it."

Kotb later added, "I think it's really cool to watch [Jenna and Sheinelle] and to witness, and I'm proud of Jenna for doing this the entire year."

"And now, to have a gentle place with such a pro like Sheinelle is going to be next level," she concluded.

For those unversed, Kotb cohosted the NBC morning show from 2007 to January of 2025.