Jenna Bush Hager was absent from the “Today” show last week, leaving millions of NBC viewers wondering where the beloved fourth-hour co-host had gone. On Monday morning, March 16, 2026, co-host Sheinelle Jones clarified the situation: the 44-year-old TV personality was simply taking a family spring break.
Bush Hager was spending the week away from Studio 1A with her husband Henry Hager and their three kids—Mila, Poppy and Hal. The timing was ideal: the mother of three rarely takes long breaks from her busy morning TV routine, and this was the first notable time off for either her or Jones since the show’s relaunch in January.
While Bush Hager was out, NBC lined up an array of celebrity guest co-hosts to join Jones throughout the week. Internet personality Justin Sylvester kicked off the rotation on Monday—despite almost missing his on-air debut after a hectic trip across the country.
Sylvester took the red-eye from Los Angeles to New York after covering the Oscars in California on Sunday, March 15. He arrived just a bit over two hours before showtime and then had another setback when his car was pulled over en route to the studio. “Girl, I brushed my teeth in the back of a car!” Sylvester told Jones on air.
The seasoned morning-show contributor admitted he even name-dropped at the traffic stop, joking that he told police he was Craig Melvin to try to avoid a ticket.
After Sylvester’s Monday appearance, the lineup included model Ashley Graham on Tuesday, actress Nia Long on Wednesday, and actor Darren Criss on Thursday. Sylvester returned Friday, March 20, to finish the week’s rotation.
The string of guest hosts is familiar territory for Bush Hager. She spent nearly a year working with more than 60 different co-hosts on “Today with Jenna & Friends” after Hoda Kotb’s departure in January 2025. Bush Hager likened that period to “dating” while NBC searched for a permanent co-host.
Sheinelle Jones was named Bush Hager’s permanent co-host on December 9, 2025, and debuted on January 12, 2026. The veteran NBC journalist had taken an extended leave beginning in December 2024 to care for her husband, Uche Ojeh, during his fight with brain cancer. Ojeh passed away on May 23, 2025, at 45. Jones returned to “Today” in September 2025, about four months after his death.
The mother of three has been open about juggling her grief while continuing her morning-show duties. “He was rooting for me all along. I owe it to him to keep going,” Jones previously told PEOPLE.
Bush Hager’s time away comes amid a difficult stretch for the wider “Today” family. Savannah Guthrie remains off the early morning desk after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was abducted from her Arizona home on February 1 and has not been found; the investigation is ongoing. Both Jones and Kotb have been filling in for Guthrie alongside Craig Melvin during the first hour.
Guthrie has said she plans to return to the morning show, but NBC has not provided a firm return date.
Also absent from Studio 1A on Monday was Al Roker; Dylan Dreyer filled in while reporting live from the 2026 Players Championship in Florida.
Despite the host reshuffling, “Today” continues to show the depth of NBC’s talent roster. The network’s ability to rotate guest co-hosts smoothly highlights the connections Bush Hager formed during her year-long search for Kotb’s replacement.
Bush Hager is expected back on “Today with Jenna & Sheinelle” the week of March 23, returning from her family vacation and ready to resume her role alongside Jones in the show’s popular fourth hour.
