Jenna Bush Hager named permanent replacement for Kathie Lee Gifford on NBC’s ‘Today’

close

Video

Jenna Bush Hager will be the new co-host of 'Today's' fourth hour alongside Hoda Kotb

Jenna Bush Hager will be the new co-host of 'Today's' Fourth Hour alongside Hoda Kotb beginning in April, when Kathie Lee Gifford leaves the morning show.

Jenna Bush Hager will replace Kathie Lee Gifford alongside Hoda Kotb during the 10 a.m. ET hour of NBC’s “Today.”

Gifford and Kotb made the big announcement on Tuesday’s show, when Bush Hager was formally introduced and quickly given a glass of wine — which has become a signature of the show's fourth hour.

JENNA BUSH HAGER REMEMBERS GEORGE H.W. BUSH WITH TOUCHING POSTS

Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, joined “Today” in 2009 and has worked her way up the ranks.

“It feels humbling and I can’t believe it,” Bush Hager said. “My dad just wrote me three words, which made me weep. He said, ‘Very proud dad.’”

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD TO WALK AWAY FROM NBC’S ‘TODAY’ SHOW

Bush Hager has filled in during the fourth hour of “Today” on a regular basis and now her seat will become permanent after Gifford’s last day, which is scheduled for April 5.

Last year, Gifford announced that she would exit the show after 11 years. She joined the NBC cash cow in 2008, hosting a newly minted fourth hour with Kotb. Gifford – the former longtime co-host of “Live with Regis & Kathie Lee” – quickly became a “Today” fan favorite when she returned to television.

NBC News chief Noah Oppenheim told staffers in an email that Bush Hager’s "compassion and curiosity come through in all of her stories, along with her Texas-sized sense of humor."