There’s been quite a few guest cohosts on Today With Jenna & Friends who proved to be great contenders for Hoda Kotb’s replacement, including Dwyane Wade.
The former NBA star guest cohosted the talk show with Jenna Bush Hager for the week of March 10. They proved to have a great rapport onscreen, with many viewers taking to social media to petition for Dwayne, 43, to become a permanent cohost on the show.
On March 15, Today With Jenna & Friends’ official Instagram account shared a post commemorating Jenna’s week with Dwayne on the show.
“We laughed, we cried and we had the best time with @dwyanewade this week! Thank you for co-hosting #JennaandFriends,” the caption of the post said.
Many were quick to point out in the comments section that they loved Jenna, 43, and Dwayne’s banter on the show throughout the week.
“Dwayne was not on my Bingo Card for favorite co-host, but dang—he knocked it out of the park with Jenna this week! Didn’t know much about him, but he is a class act,” one person admitted in an Instagram comment.
“He’s the one! Please choose him Jenna! Y’all are great together!” another person said.
“Cleeeeear up until this week….I thought Scarlett was the best. Hands down. But @dwyanewade surprised the hell outa me! I absolutely LOVED him on the show this week! Scarlett’s got some stiff competition!” another said, referencing Scarlett Johansson’s run as guest cohost earlier this year.
“Hands down the BEST Co Host ever! Wish he could stay on permanently, game changer for the show. Love this man!” another person added.
“Scarlett and Dwyane have so far been the two best!” someone else said.
Scarlett, 40, previously reflected on her time cohosting the show, saying that it was quite a dream come true.
“[Cohosting] TODAY really is a fantasy job for me,” she told InStyle in a March 13 interview. “I like every element of that job, because I love talking to people. It’s not dissimilar from hosting Saturday Night Live in some ways.”
“The live element of it is really fun. Spontaneous and a little dangerous too. I would never want my own TV show,” the Avengers actress shared.
She also added her input on who she thought would be a great fit to permanently move into Hoda’s seat next to Jenna.
“I think with Hoda, it was so great because she was like, you know, a little older, but with kids.” Scarlett revealed. “She was a little step ahead. Jenna needs to be with someone funny.”
Many think that Dwayne is the right guy for the job, but ultimately, no official decisions have been announced. A source previously told Closer that Jenna would have a say in who ends up snagging the permanent cohosting position.
“They want Jenna to stick around long term and to have a cohost that she enjoys working with, so they’re going to give her a lot of say in who they hire,” the insider told Closer in November 2024. “But of course, the most important thing is going to be pleasing the viewers, that’s why they’ve opted to start off by testing out different cohosts for her. They want to see the chemistry and the ratings, that’s going to really be the deciding factor.”
