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Sheinelle Jones says her late husband continues to be cheering her on — and he or she felt his presence as she formally joined Jenna Bush Hager for As we speak’s fourth hour.
On Monday, January 12, NBC launched As we speak with Jenna & Sheinelle, formally naming Jones as Hager’s everlasting cohost. The milestone second was stuffed with emotion, heartfelt tributes and shock appearances from former hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, marking the beginning of a brand new period for the morning present franchise.
Throughout her opening remarks, Sheinelle revealed that the function felt like destiny — particularly after rediscovering a textual content message from her late husband, Uche Ojeh, that she believes was an indication from him.
“Uche all the time felt like once we have been in school, like, ‘Oh it’s best to do a present, it’s best to do a chat [show].’ He simply felt like I ought to, and I was like, ‘No matter, no matter,’” Jones shared. She defined that when Kotb introduced she was leaving As we speak, Ojeh was already critically unwell. “When Hoda introduced that she was leaving, he was actually sick and he wasn’t speaking as a lot, however I might speak to him and he might despatched me emojis and stuff like that, and that will be how we talked.”
Jones then revealed that she just lately stumbled upon a textual content Ojeh despatched her in fall 2024 after information broke that Kotb can be exiting As we speak with Hoda & Jenna. The message included a hyperlink to an article about Hoda’s departure — together with emojis that made his that means crystal clear.
“It was an article that mentioned that Hoda was going to depart, and he felt prefer it was my flip to shine and to attempt,” she mentioned by means of tears, stating the sturdy arm and crossed-fingers emojis he added.
On the time, Jones admitted she couldn’t absolutely course of what he was making an attempt to inform her. “It didn’t even register for me. He stored making an attempt to return to it, and I used to be like, ‘No, we gotta save your life first. I don’t need to discuss me. I need to discuss you,’” she recalled. “So now, it simply appears like affirmation as a result of right here we’re like two years later and he’s like, ‘Instructed you.’”
Ojeh died in Could 2025 after a battle with glioblastoma. He was 45. Jones shares three youngsters with him — son Kayin, 16, and 13-year-old twins Clara and Uche Jr.
Jones’ official addition to the fourth hour comes after Bush Hager spent a yr internet hosting solo following Kotb’s early 2025 exit. Throughout that point, As we speak with Jenna & Associates featured greater than 60 visitor cohosts, together with celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and acquainted faces from the As we speak household.
Earlier than getting into her new function, Jones revealed that Kotb reached out with phrases she’ll always remember. “Final night time clearly, as you guys can think about, it was an emotional rollercoaster for me and my telephone stored ‘zip, zip, zip, zip,’” she mentioned in December 2025. “And it was Hoda.”
After stepping away to take the decision, Jones remembered Kotb’s recommendation clearly. “She goes, ‘Don’t say something simply pay attention,’” she recalled, earlier than sharing what she known as “45 seconds of knowledge that modified me.”
“She mentioned, ‘You’re gonna be doing commencement speeches and all that.’ And she or he goes, ‘I promise you,’ she goes, ‘let’s keep in mind this second, you’re gonna discuss how this was a second that modified your profession and it was one of the best choice, in your children, for you. Working with Jenna, it’s gonna be higher than you possibly can ever think about.’”
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