Jenna Bush Hager is soaking in her final days working with Today cohost Hoda Kotb and gave the soon-to-be-retired TV host oncamera dating advice.
During a segment in the Friday, January 3, episode of Today, Hoda, 60, asked Jenna, 43, what type of outfit she should wear during a date.
“I wouldn’t say a jumpsuit because you’re going to have to ask him to unzip you to pee because you can’t reach back there and that’s kind of embarrassing,” Jenna replied.
The daughter of former president George W. Bush also told Hoda to show more skin and less shapewear. “It’s true, take those Spanx off,” Jenna said.
During a separate part of the episode, the women continued on the first date attire conversation, leading Hoda to reflect on a time her date didn’t match her energy.
“I dressed up to the nines and I was never, I’d never been happier,” Hoda said of a past New Year’s Eve date. “I was so excited and it was at his house and I rang the doorbell and he had on socks, jeans, and a T-shirt with like three of his friends over and they were wrestling the dog.”
Hoda admitted she spent money she didn’t have at the time on a new sequined dress and perfume, but ended up leaving before the ball dropped at midnight.
After Hoda signs off one final time on January 10, she’ll have a lot more free time to focus on potentially dating around for a romantic partner.
In the meantime, Hoda maintains a close relationship with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman, with whom she shares daughters Hope and Haley. In fact, the estranged family spent Christmas together on December 25, 2024, and enjoyed the holiday in their matching festive pajamas. Hoda and Joel, 66, who split in January 2022, watched their daughters open gifts and sat around the dining table as they enjoyed a family dinner.
“Hoda and Joel ended things on a good note, which is why he was with her and the kids on Christmas Day. They broke up but still get along great,” a source exclusively told Closer in a story published on December 27, 2024.
Meanwhile, a second source explained how the TV reporter and financier have coparenting styles “different than most couples.”
“They were never married; they’re both mature and aren’t fighting over stuff, so there’s no animosity,” insider No. 2 exclusively told Closer at the time. “Hoda is more of a hands-on parent. Joel isn’t, which is fine. It works for them.”
While Hoda and Joel make a good team with the kids, they didn’t work well as a couple.
“As far as a reconciliation goes, which everyone is hoping for, I just don’t think that’s in the cards for them,” a third source exclusively revealed to Closer. “Never say never, but they’re both set in their ways and happy with the way things are.”
That said, Hoda sparked engagement rumors with Joel after she wore a gorgeous ring on her wedding finger during a Thursday, January 2, episode of Today.
“Did anyone else notice the ring on Hoda’s left hand this morning? I was waiting for an announcement,” a fan commented under Hoda’s Instagram post later that day. “At one point she was fiddling with it, sliding it up and down. I was really hoping her and Joel were back together.”
Neither of the pair have publicly addressed the engagement speculation.