Jenna Bush Hager was absent from the “Today” show this week, prompting many NBC viewers to wonder where she was. On Monday morning, March 16, 2026, co-host Sheinelle Jones clarified that the 44-year-old was simply taking a well-earned spring break with her family.
Bush Hager is spending the week away from Studio 1A with her husband Henry Hager and their three children—daughters Mila and Poppy, and son Hal. The timing was ideal: the mother of three seldom takes extended time off from her busy morning schedule, and this was the first notable break either she or Jones had taken since the show’s relaunch in January.
In her absence, NBC lined up a strong slate of celebrity guest co-hosts to join Jones during the week. Internet personality Justin Sylvester kicked off the week on Monday—despite nearly missing his on-air debut after a hectic cross-country trip.
Sylvester took a red-eye from Los Angeles to New York after covering the Oscars in California on Sunday. Arriving a little over two hours before showtime, the E! News correspondent then had his car pulled over en route to the studio. “Girl, I brushed my teeth in the back of a car!” Sylvester told Jones on air.
The seasoned morning-show contributor also admitted to name-dropping during the traffic stop, joking that he told officers he was Craig Melvin to avoid a ticket.
After Sylvester’s Monday appearance, the guest-host lineup includes model Ashley Graham on Tuesday, actress Nia Long on Wednesday, and actor Darren Criss on Thursday. Sylvester returns Friday, March 20, to wrap up the rotation.
The run of guest hosts is familiar territory for Bush Hager. She spent nearly a year on “Today with Jenna & Friends” with more than 60 different co-hosts after Hoda Kotb’s departure in January 2025. Bush Hager likened that stint to “dating” as NBC searched for a permanent co-host.
Jones was named Bush Hager’s permanent co-host on December 9, 2025, and debuted on January 12, 2026. The veteran NBC journalist had taken an extended leave beginning in December 2024 to care for her husband, Uche Ojeh, during his fight with brain cancer. Ojeh passed away on May 23, 2025, at age 45. Jones returned to “Today” in September 2025, about four months after his death.
The mother of three has been open about managing her grief while continuing her morning-show role. “He was rooting for me all along. I owe it to him to keep going,” Jones previously told PEOPLE.
Bush Hager’s time away comes amid difficulties for the wider “Today” show family. Savannah Guthrie remains off the early morning broadcast after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was abducted from her Arizona home on February 1. The 84-year-old has not been found, and the investigation is ongoing. Both Jones and Kotb have been filling in for Guthrie with Craig Melvin during the first hour of “Today.”
Guthrie has said she intends to return to NBC’s morning show, but the network has not provided a definite date.
Also, Al Roker was absent from Studio 1A on Monday, with Dylan Dreyer stepping in while reporting live from the 2026 Players Championship in Florida.
Despite the host changes, “Today” continues to showcase NBC’s depth of talent. The network’s ability to rotate guest co-hosts smoothly highlights the connections Bush Hager formed during her year-long search for Kotb’s successor.
Bush Hager is expected back on “Today with Jenna & Sheinelle” the week of March 23, returning refreshed from her family vacation and ready to resume her role alongside Jones in the show’s fourth hour.
