Barbara Bush Shares Rare Photos of 6-Month-Old Son Edward
Hoda Kotb is definitely keeping tabs on her Today family.
In fact, her former fourth hour co-host Jenna Bush Hager revealed she still gets constructive criticism from Hoda, who left the NBC morning news show earlier this year.
“She’s giving feedback,” Jenna exclusively told E! News in a joint interview with twin sister Barbara Bush. “She’s so supportive. You all know Hoda, she’s like the most supportive, amazing force. But she definitely is like, ‘Okay, that was great’ or ‘this is great.’ She definitely has opinions, which I love. I care about what she thinks.” (Watch E! News tonight, March 27, at 11 p.m. for more exclusive scoop from the Bush twins.)
Now that several months have passed since Hoda’s departure, Jenna has better perspective on the journalist’s decision to spend more time with daughters Haley, 9, Hope, 5.
“It was a really good lesson in saying goodbye because I was so sad,” the former First Daughter—who is mom to kids Mila, 11, Poppy, 9, and Hal, 5, with husband Henry Chase Hager—admitted. “It was almost unthinkable that she wouldn’t be here.”
Since Hoda signed off from the news desk in January after 17 years at Today, Jenna has welcomed an impressive roster of celebrity guest hosts during her Jenna & Friends fourth hour.
“It’s been three months, which I cannot believe,” the 43-year-old reflected. “I’ve sat next to now 21 different people and it’s been a really fun journey. It’s brought our team really close together. I’m obsessed with everybody I work with and I really love where I work. So, it’s kind of a lesson in making sure you tell the people you love you love them.”
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As for who has been the best interim replacement for Hoda, Barbara chimed in, “I loved Dwyane Wade before and then he was excellent. He and sissy had a great dynamic.”
Jenna echoed her twin, “I would say I agree with Barbara. Dwyane was so much fun and kind of unexpected. Dwyane was so much fun. He’s really soulful and super curious. I was kind of surprised by how much fun we had together. I also love Scarlett Johansson.”
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Barbara even co-hosted with her sister to promote their new illustrated book I Love You First.
As Barbara—who shares 3-year-old daughter Cora and 6-month-old son Edward with husband Craig Coyne—shared of their latest literary project, “It’s about our love and parents’ love for their children to begin with. That we love the idea our kids going to bed and hearing how much we love them and how much they have opened our world.”
Don’t miss E! News tonight, March 27, at 11 p.m. for more of our exclusive sit-down with the Bush twins.
I Loved You First is out now wherever books are sold.
And keep reading to see the Today show family over the years.
Hoda’s Halloween
“Another Halloween in the books,” wrote the host as she celebrated the day with her daughter Haley Joy.
Carson and Siri’s Bundle of Joy
The anchor and his wife announced the happy news when they welcomed their fourth child, Goldie Patricia Daly!
Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Megyn Kelly
Kelly has kept the lives of her three young children—Edward, Yardley, and Thatcher— relatively quiet, but she and her novelist husband make plenty of their own public appearances as a duo.
Steve Mack/Getty Images
Kathie Lee
Hoda’s former co-host is a loving mommy to her own two children, Cassidy Gifford and Cody Gifford, with her late husband, Frank Gifford.
Savannah Guthrie
The TV personality is a mommy to two little ones, Vale Guthrie Feldman and Charles Max Feldman, with her husband Mike Feldman. She welcomed Charles into the world in December 2016.
Noam Galai/WireImage
Al Roker
The anchor and his wife, Deborah Roberts, are parents to Leila Roker and Nicholas Albert Roker.
Paul Zimmerman/WireImage
Willie Geist
The anchor of Sunday Today has been married to his wife, Christina, since 2003. They’re parents to two children, George William Geist and Lucie Joy Geist.
(E! and Today are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.
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