When Hoda Kotb left the Today show, it put Jenna Bush Hager in a rough position. Obviously, they had perfect chemistry, seamlessly bouncing off of one another. But most importantly, Hoda departing meant a much higher workload for Bush Hager. She would essentially be running the show all by herself until the network figured out some potential replacements. Consequently, it only makes sense to compensate her accordingly.
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Apparently, this is something that Hoda Kotb already had in mind before she left. Recently, Jenna spoke on the How She Does It podcast. There, she opens up about her partner in crime leaving the show and how she advised Bush Hager not to sign any new contract until later. The advice would prove to be crucial for her. "In the same way that I didn't envision myself working at the Today show, I never envisioned Hoda leaving," she recalls. "And in fact, she kept saying, 'Don't sign your contract.'"
Hoda Kotb Protects Jenna Bush Hager So She Could Make More Money Upon Her Departure
It didn't really click for Bush Hager would Kotb was doing for her until down the line. "I thought she was saying that so we could link up our contracts and be there until the same time," she explains. "But what she was doing was protecting me, because she knew I was gonna be doing the show on my own."
Perhaps, this is simply because Jenna could hardly picture her cohost ever leaving the show. They had grown such a tight bond, it was hard to envision doing the show with anyone else. "I didn't ever have one inkling of a thought that she was about to say she was leaving," Jenna says of Hoda. "I know she loved her work and loves her work, so leaving it wasn't something I could wrap my mind around until I sat down with her and heard her reasoning."
