Sheinelle Jones is feeling the presence of her late husband, Uche Ojeh, while marking her first episode as Jenna Bush Hager’s cohost on Today.
“I did not plan to share this, but I shared it with Jenna and she is having me share this with you,” Jones, 47, began during the Monday, January 12, episode of Today With Jenna & Sheinelle. “So, when Hoda [Kotb] announced that she was leaving — Uche always felt like, when we were in college, ‘Oh, you should do a show.’ He just felt like I should, and I used to be like, ‘Ugh, whatever.’”
She continued, “And so when Hoda announced that she was leaving, he was really sick, and so he wasn’t talking as much. But I could talk to him and he would send me emojis and stuff like that, and that would be how we talked. And so I’ll show you a picture of the text that I just found from Uche from 2024.”
As Jones spoke, a message from Uche displayed on the screen — which included a screenshot of an article about Hoda leaving Today with a bunch of emojis, including thumbs up and fingers crossed.
Who Is Sheinelle Jones? 5 Things to Know About Jenna Bush Hager’s Cohost
“He felt like it was my turn to shine and to try … And that was almost two years ago,” Jones reflected through tears. “What you don’t see is that I didn’t respond to that … it didn’t even register for me. … And so now, it just feels like confirmation, because here we are two years later.”
Bush Hager, 44, went on to note that Ojeh is watching Jones’ first day and sending her love. (Ojeh died at age 45 in 2025 after a battle with brain cancer.)
“I know he’s looking down with your grandmother, who you also just recently lost … I wish [people] could see the studio, it’s never been this full. Not even when Mrs. Obama was here,” Bush Hager said.
After nearly three decades working at NBC, Kotb announced her departure from the morning show in 2024. She officially departed from her role as Bush Hager’s cohost in 2025. Nearly one year later, Jones was revealed to be replacing Kotb.
‘Today’ Stars Support Sheinelle Jones at Husband’s Funeral
Before her new gig was announced, Jones shared that she received a special call from Kotb.
“Last night obviously, as you guys can imagine, it was an emotional rollercoaster for me and my phone kept ‘zip, zip, zip, zip,’ and I’m like, ‘I can’t talk, Clara’s tapping or dancing,’ and it was Hoda,” Jones said in December 2025, referring to her and Ojeh’s daughter. (Jones shares son Kayin and twins Clara and Uche with Ojeh.)
She continued, “And so I went out to the lobby, we had some time, and I said, ‘Hey,’ And she goes, ‘Don’t say anything just listen.’”
Jones went on to share Kotb’s “45 seconds of wisdom that changed me.”
“She said, ‘You’re gonna be doing graduation speeches and all that.’ And she goes, ‘I promise you,’ she goes, ‘let’s remember this moment, you’re gonna talk about how this was a moment that changed your career and it was the best decision, for your kids, for you. Working with Jenna, it’s gonna be better than you could ever imagine,’” she recalled.
