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Jenna Bush Hager admits she was taken by surprise when Hoda Kotb announced her retirement from Today after 11 years as co-anchor of the show’s fourth hour.
In the Thursday, December 5 episode of her Open Book With Jenna podcast, Bush Hager revealed to fans how she processed the news. “I mean, to be totally honest, I was shocked,” she admitted. “Shocked.”
Kotb, 60, made her departure public in September, citing her desire to spend more time with her daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5. Although the pair have worked closely for five years, she mentioned how she wasn’t given much time to absorb the news before it was made official.
Alliance for Women in Media Foundation/Getty Images for Alliance for Women in Media Foundation
“I found out, like, the week before,” Bush Hager, 43, revealed in the episode, adding that Kotb shared her decision as soon as it was made, but explained that her co-worker-turned-friend “does things.” Bush Hager went on to admit, “And this is why I admire her so much, is that she really listens to herself, and therefore she makes decisions which can feel surprising to others and just right for her.”
As Kotb’s final day on January 10 nears, Bush Hager has begun to accept the change. “Now that I’ve had time to process it, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I totally get it,'” she said, acknowledging the emotional weight of the situation. However, she confessed, “When everybody’s like, ‘Oh my God, congratulations,’ it’s like, I feel like I’ve been dumped. Not really, because she’s choosing herself. I get that. But my heart was — is broken a little.”
The NBC host just participated in her final Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting as a Today show anchor on Wednesday, December 4. She joined co-hosts Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin beneath the iconic tree to kick off the festivities. Melvin is set to toke over Kotb’s role on January 13.
