Jenna Bush Hager Is Back on 'Today' After Her Maternity Leave
In addition to Dylan Dreyer being pregnant with her second child and Hoda Kotb adopting a baby girl in April, Jenna Bush Hager welcomed her third child (and first baby boy!) into the world on Friday, August 2.
After months of being away, the Today show welcomed Jenna back to the desk on Monday, November 11. To celebrate her return, Jenna posted a heartfelt Instagram of her and Hoda embracing with the caption "@hodakotb, I’m coming home!!!"
A post shared by Jenna Bush Hager (@jennabhager) on Nov 11, 2019 at 4:49am PST
Even though she's back at the moment, Jenna announced on International Day of the Girl in mid-October that she will be joining former First Lady Michelle Obama, Julia Roberts, Lana Condor, and Veronica Ngo on a trip to Vietnam to highlight educators helping young girls stay in school.
A post shared by Jenna Bush Hager (@jennabhager) on Oct 11, 2019 at 5:37am PDT
"Mrs. Obama and I are hitting the road in December and we're going to share the inspiring stories of the incredible people that are helping to make our world a better place," Jenna said on Instagram.
Until then though, Jenna and her sister Barbara Pierce Bush are going on tour to promote their new children's book, Sisters First. Specifically, the Bush sisters will be making stops in the Northeast, Illinois, and Texas.
A post shared by Jenna Bush Hager (@jennabhager) on Sep 28, 2019 at 4:38am PDT
“Being born a twin was the luckiest thing that ever happened to us and as we’ve grown older, our definition of ‘sisters’ has expanded to include friends and colleagues,” the Bush twins told People. “Sisters First is also a love story to them, as well as to the next generation of girls."
How does the fourth hour run now?
On days without Jenna, the show has been enlisting the help of co-anchors from other hours of the Today show, including Willie, Savannah Guthrie, Natalie Morales, and more. Over the past few months, former Today c0-anchor Meredith Vieira has occasionally stepped in, as well.
Once Jenna returns from her trip to Vietnam, it'll be interesting to see if new(ish) executive producer Joanne LaMarca will make any serious changes. She was officially named executive producer in late April, when Hoda was already out on maternity leave. Typically, a new E.P. means that changes, in some capacity, are bound to occur. But right now, it's a wait-and-see situation.
Will Dylan Dreyer's pregnancy change anything?
When Dylan gives birth to her baby boy in early January 2020, she will go on maternity leave, which means the rest of the third-hour crew — Sheinelle Jones, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin — will have to hold down the fort until early next year.
Bottom line: A lot of temporary changes are in store for Today over the next few months. But no matter what, we're sure the morning show will be just as fun to watch.
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