Kelsea Ballerini, Ciara & More (Exclusive)

On By Littum

Jenna Bush Hager welcomes more friends to the fourth hour of Today.

From January 27, Today with Jenna & Friends will kick off a week of women in music guest hosting. Kelsea Ballerini will start on Monday, January 27th, followed by Jordin Sparks on Tuesday, January 28th. Ciara has double duty on Wednesday, January 29 and Friday, January 31, while Wynonna Judd holds court on Thursday, January 30. .

“It’s a total celebration of music,” says Fourth Hour executive producer Talia Parkinson-Jones. “The Grammys are the following weekend and we’ve tailored all the content for (the hosts).”

The first group of co-hosts included Taraji P. Henson, Eva Longoria, Keke Palmer and Michelle Buteau, followed by Scarlett Johansson, who has co-hosted the show with Bush Hager for the past week.

(L-R) Kelsea Ballerini, Jordin Sparks, Wynonna Judd, Ciara.

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty; Carell Augustus/NBC via Getty; Terry Wyatt/NBC via Getty; Rob Kim/Getty


“I love (Scarlett),” Bush Hager recently told PEOPLE. “And also, when something ends and you start something new, to have people raise their hand and show up for you, it’s the most gracious, amazing feeling. Honestly.”

Today with Jenna & Friends launched on January 13th, following Hoda Kotb’s last day on January 10th. Bush Chins announced on the Jan. 6 broadcast that a rotating roster of celebrity guests would step in to help fill the void.

“What’s so cool about it is that it really feels like we’re pulling up chairs for all different types of people,” Bush Hager told PEOPLE. “Yes, we have actors, but we also have comedians and people in the media. And I think that’s really what we hope to have: a total representation of who watches our show and something for every viewer. ”

Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on December 3, 2024 on NBC’s Today Show.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty


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In addition to the emergence of Jenna and friendsBush Hager also recently launched his own book imprint called Thousand Voices Books. The imprint is set to release six titles in 2025, the first of which is titled Compliant by Ariel Sullivan.

“Because I’m so into it, it doesn’t really feel like work,” she said of her new literary venture. “I mean, it is, but I just feel so good.”

Today with Jenna & Friends sent weekdays at 10 ET on NBC.