NBC host Shanelle Jones He has also been named as the official co-host of the fourth hour of the “Today” show Jenna Bush HagerA year after neelly ex-star Hoda Kotb His years-long run on the hit circuit ended.
Hager, 44, spent nearly 12 months rotating through a series of guest hosts, while Jones, 47, endured the heartbreaking loss of her husband, Ok why?who died in May at the age of 45 after a secret battle with brain cancer.
Jones took an extended hiatus from the hit NBC morning show while her husband received treatment, announcing in January that she would be absent from the screens, citing at the time that she was dealing with family health issues.
The mother of three announced four months later that her husband of nearly 20 years had died.
In September, she opened up about her heartbreaking loss during an appearance on “Today,” describing her grief as a “beautiful nightmare,” she told the anchor. Savannah Guthrie that his heart was “shattered into a million pieces.”
“The life I’ve known since I was 19 is no more. When it comes to grief, I don’t run away from crying anymore. I’m looking at it, ‘OK, here comes my cleansing rain,’ and OK,” he said.
Jones noted that he was “proud” of himself for “how I’ve competed so far,” before revealing that
“It’s horrible. It’s just horrible. It stinks, but I’m here and I’m fine,” he added.
Jones officially returns to her role as co-host of the third hour of “Today.” Al Roker AndDylan Dreyer later this month — but will now land a new job entirely, and join Hager in the fourth hour as a permanent feature starting January 12.
Hager made the announcement on Tuesday, describing Jones as an “extraordinary” talent who brings everything the show aims to offer to audiences.
“You all know her, she’s an extraordinary broadcaster, but more importantly she exemplifies exactly what this show is all about,” Hager said.
Meanwhile, Jones noted that the opportunity was “beyond that.” [her] Wild dreams,” he added: “This is the real deal, and I get to do it with Gina. ”
Hager immediately burst into tears as the two hugged, “I’m so glad you’re here. I knew I was going to cry before you walked out, I just didn’t try.”
NBC noted that Dryer and Rooker will remain in their roles as co-hosts of the third hour of “Today.” Craig Melvinwho was also promoted to co-anchor of the show’s main hour when Kotb stepped down in January.
It marks a happy milestone for Jones in what has been an incredibly difficult year, beginning in January when she took a step back from the show to be with her husband during his battle with cancer.
At the time, the on-air host thanked viewers for their support in a statement shared on her social media, although she did not reveal any other details about the “family health matter” she was dealing with.
“I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out to the show in absentia,” he wrote. “I want to share with you that I am taking time off to deal with family health.
“It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to not only support my ‘Today’ show family, but to have all of you,” she added. “Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon.”
It wasn’t until May that Jones revealed to her husband – with whom she shares three children, a son Cain16, and 13-year-old twins Clara And ucheThe are struggling with this disease.
Although Jones did not appear on the “Today” show to announce the news of her husband’s death, her co-host, Guthrie, shared the devastating development with viewers in an on-air statement.
“It is with deep sadness that we share this morning that the husband of our dear friend and ‘Today’ co-host Shanell Jones has passed away after an aggressive battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called globostoma,” Guthrie told viewers at the time.
“There are no words for the pain we feel for Shanel and their three young children. Ache was an incredible person. We all loved him.”
Jones and Ojay tied the knot in 2007 and were living together in a stunning estate in Livingston Manor, New York, when the “Today” host stepped back from her hosting duties to help her husband.
The couple is understood to have purchased the residence in December 2020 for just under $1.4 million.
The home offers 4,762 square feet of living space on 53 acres with a “large stock pond” and an in-ground heated pool, according to its original listing description.
Inside the property, there is a library, formal dining room, and a huge master suite, while there is an additional four-bedroom, two-bath guest house.
Jones and his family are thought to have moved into the home after returning from a five-month hiatus in South Carolina, where they quarantined during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the time, the “Today” host expressed her excitement at the prospect of starting a “new adventure,” while talking about the time she and her loved ones were able to spend isolated in such a beautiful location.
“Time to start a new chapter!” she wrote in an Instagram post highlighting her favorite photos from her stay. “The last five months have been filled with so much uncertainty, but there has been a silver lining during this time as a family.
“It’s easy to be isolated when you love it.
Although Jones and her husband own a property outside of New York City, they at one point lived in an apartment in Manhattan.
She explained to the online outlet that she fell in love with the house’s high ceilings, corner window and hardwood floors, when her family moved into the home after moving from Philadelphia to her role on “Today.”
