‘I’M NOT LEAVING… I’M LEVELING UP’ — Sheinelle Jones Stuns Viewers as She Steps Away From the 3rd Hour of TODAY to Take On a Powerful New Role

While Sheinelle Jones will be saying hello to her new role as the co-host of the upcoming Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, she’ll have to say goodbye to another job.

After it was announced that Jones, 47, will be joining Jenna Bush Hager as co-host of the morning show’s fourth hour in January, the journalist shared that she’ll be exiting her spot on the 3rd Hour of Today. 

Jones currently co-hosts the 3rd Hour of Today alongside Craig Melvin, Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer, and her colleagues discussed the move on Wednesday, Dec. 10. “In case you missed the news yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, our dear friend, Sheinelle Jones, she’s about to make a new friend,” Melvin, 46, shared at the top of the 3rd Hour.

“She’s gonna be joining Jenna as the permanent host of the fourth hour. That’s our neighbor in a lot of markets, they come on after us. We’re, of course, gonna miss sitting next to you every day here on this show,” he continued.

As footage of Jones’ announcement from Tuesday aired, Roker, 71, noted, “We don’t give you an entrance like that!”

Melvin also shared that Jones’ co-hosts are “happy and proud” of her big news, as she admitted, “It’s kind of surreal… I feel like I haven’t landed yet.”

In addition to the excitement of joining Bush Hager, 44, Jones said one message she received from her eldest son, Kayin, really touched her. “They don’t tape shows on Fridays,” she said of her new program’s schedule.

She continued, “They have Fridays off, and my 16-year-old he said, ‘So does that mean, Mom, maybe you could take us to school sometimes in the morning on Friday?’ And I’m like, ‘You, like me?!’ I thought about it and his whole life, I’ve worked morning news.”

Jones is mom to Kayin as well as twins Clara and Uche Jr., both 13.

The longtime journalist has had a tumultuous year following the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh, in March. Jones first took an extended leave of absence from Today at the end of 2024 to spend time with Ojeh following his glioblastoma diagnosis. She returned to the show in September, declaring, “I’m fighting for my joy,” amidst her grief.

On Tuesday, Jones addressed viewers in the wake of her big news. “For those of you who are holding something, whether it’s grief or pain or whatever you’re holding, I just want you to know, if you see me here, that means you can do it too,” she shared.

Jones added, “And we’re all gonna fight for our joy. If you see me laughing and when you see me having a good time with my sister-friend here. That means you can get up and conquer your day too.”

Read the original article on People