Sheinelle Jones return date for the Today show has been announced after the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh.
Jones, 47, will resume cohosting Today’s third hour on Friday, September 5. Savannah Guthrie announced the news on the Tuesday, September 2, edition of the NBC morning show.
This will mark Jones’ first day back since Ojeh died in May at age 45 following a battle with brain cancer.
Friday’s program will include a pre-taped interview between Guthrie, 53, and her grieving colleague, who took leave from the show starting in December 2024. She addressed her absence the following month, explaining via Instagram that she was “taking time to deal with a family health matter.”
Sheinelle Jones ‘Focusing on Her Family’ After Husband’s Death: Source
On May 23, Guthrie delivered a tragic update, telling Today viewers, “With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our dear friend and Today cohost Sheinelle Jones has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. There are no words for the pain that we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him.”
Jones met Ojeh in the 1990s when she gave her future husband a tour of the Northwestern University. Ojeh proposed on Northwestern’s campus eight years into their romance, and the pair married in Jones’ hometown of Philadelphia in 2007. They later welcomed son Kayin, 16, and twins Clara and Uche, 13.
Jones addressed Ojeh’s death via Instagram in May, sharing a clip of Guthrie’s on-air announcement. “Thank you, for all of your love and support,” Jones wrote at the time.
How Sheinelle Jones Is Coping After Husband Uche Ojeh’s Death
In July, it was revealed that Jones had delayed the release of her first book, Through Mom’s Eyes, for the second time since Ojeh’s passing. Publisher Penguin Random House will release the book on February 10, 2026. It was initially slated to hit shelves in April, but was later moved to October — and now, early next year.
Through Mom’s Eyes is based on Jones’ Today segment where she interviews the mothers of stars including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lady Gaga and Steph Curry.
A synopsis noted that Jones has spoken with “dozens of remarkable women and gathered a candid, warm, and insightful collection of valuable lessons about life, love, and parenthood.”
The TV journalist also shares “her own journey through modern parenting,” the synopsis read, adding that she’ll reveal “how to make it through the hard parts of motherhood and still tap into the joys of it with empathy, generosity, and solidarity. Through Mom’s Eyes is a beautiful celebration of those who are the guiding light for their loved ones — mothers.”
