A new couple is going to grace the daytime talk show space as Jenna Bush Hager’s husband, Henry Hager, will fill in as her cohost on the Today show’s Jenna & Friends.
“Next week is family week!” Jenna, 43, announced during the Friday, March 21, episode of Jenna & Friends alongside her temporary cohost and actress Brooke Shields. “I’m a little freaked out.”
After revealing that Henry, 46, was going to sit next to her as her cohost for the March 27 and 28 episodes, Jenna admitted that she was “blushing” thinking of her hubby as her new temporary coworker.
“He’s prepping, he’s been texting with all of the producers. He has ideas, I don’t know any of them,” the journalist told Brooke, 59, noting that Henry was feeling a little “overwhelmed” on the role. “I think it’s gonna be slightly wild.”
Brooke joked to Jenna that she may “create a monster” after Henry makes his cohosting debut, saying, “He’s gonna be like, I got some notes for you!”
In addition to Henry, Jenna’s twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush, and cousins Wendy Stapleton and Sam Bush LeBlond, will step in as the week’s cohosts. Barbara, 43, will cohost on March 24 through March 25, while Wendy and Sam will cohost on March 26.
“Y’all have been asking to see @jennabhager’s family in the co-hosting chair, and now it’s time!” the official Jenna & Friends Instagram account captioned its announcement on March 21. “Don’t miss family week on #JennaandFriends starting Mon., March 24!”
Wendy shared her excitement in the comments section of the post, writing, “Can’t wait to cohost with cousin Sam who has agreed to go on air in tiger print hot pants.”
Needless to say, fans of the show approved the all-in-the-family lineup. However, almost everyone made one major request: Get Jenna’s dad, former United States president George W. Bush on air.
“I agree with everyone, your dad should host! It’d also be great to see him with Michelle [Obama] in a segment or co-hosting as well,” one fan wrote. “Those two are funny separately and hilarious together.”
Although the upcoming episode will mark Henry’s first cohosting gig on the show, the Today show set has been a place of family visits with their kids, Mila, 11, and Poppy, 9, and son Hal, 5.
In January, Jenna revealed that their eldest child is the only one of the trio that has shared an interest in following in their mom’s footsteps. Sadly, Henry put a pause on the preteen’s privileges to visit the set.
“They’re not jumping, but I may push them like I’ve done my whole life,” Jenna told E! News at the time. “You know who really wants to do it? Mila Hager.”
That said, she has to learn how to use a filter oncamera after she shared secrets about her mom on air.
In December 2022, Mila joined Jenna and her mom’s former cohost, Hoda Kotb, who exited the show in January, on camera. After Hoda, 60, admitted that her favorite thing about Jenna was her uncontrollable laughter, Mila shared a story that was meant to stay at home.
“Yeah, one time she was laughing in our living room and she peed her pants!” Mila said. “You changed your pajamas!”
During Jenna’s interview with E! News, she continued, “So, therefore, my husband gave her a lifetime ban. We’ll see if that’s lifted, maybe for bring your kids to work day. But she hasn’t been always the most supportive, let’s just say that.”
Nonetheless, Hery is a supportive husband to Jenna’s budding career behind the scenes.
“Part of [a healthy relationship] is choosing the right person because they make you feel — they’re supportive,” Jenna told temporary cohost and country star Kelsea Ballerini during a January episode of Jenna & Friends, adding, “but they also make you feel like you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing because then you can do it well.”
