Jenna Bush Hager has been doing the fourth hour of the Today show without a permanent co-anchor ever since Hoda Kotb retired in early January. Since then, Jenna & Friends has relied on a steady stream of celebrity guest hosts. Jenna’s guest co-anchors have included Taraji P. Henson, Scarlett Johannson, Halle Berry, Andy Cohen, and Henry Winkler. Jenna’s sister, Barbara Bush, took a turn for two days in March, while Hoda came back to her old seat for one day at the end of May. Today’s website is keeping a running list.
Jenna’s guest host on June 16 was Leslie Bibb. Leslie previously appeared as a guest on the March 27 episode of Today to promote The White Lotus. During her interview, she and Jenna talked about the hubbub that people were making about her character’s haircut, which was a blunt bob. Leslie’s bob is all the rage nowadays, and back in March, Jenna promised Leslie that she’d try out the cut herself. On Monday, not only did Jenna fulfill her promise, she also brought out celeb hairstylist Chris McMillan to cut her hair on live TV.
Jenna Bush Hager is checking into the summer with a new look.
Indeed, the Jenna & Friends host made good on her promise to Leslie Bibb and joined the White Lotus star in rocking one of the summer’s most in demand looks: The blunt bob. And Jenna had Leslie’s hairstylist Chris McMillan along for the ride to help her achieve the look.
As the final hour of Today came to a close June 16, Jenna took the plunge with Leslie by her side as Chris—who is also known for Jennifer Aniston’s iconic Rachel haircut from Friends—slowly chopped the back of Jenna’s signature shoulder length hair blonde tresses.
And Leslie, who first convinced Jenna to try out the cut in during her March appearance on the show, cheered Jenna on as Chris got to work, telling her, “You’re such a badass, you’re cool. I love this.”
As for Jenna’s reaction to the ‘do after Leslie handed Jenna the clipped blonde tresses from the nape of her neck Jenna exclaimed “Whoa that’s so short.”
However, Chris assured Jenna that the back of the head is always the shortest part and that the look would actually accent the color that she already has in her hair. And though she was getting the cut done in front of Leslie, Today staff, onlookers outside of Studio 6A and viewers at home Jenna—mom to kids Mila, 13, Poppy, 9, and Hal, 5, with husband Henry Hager—revealed the one person she’s curious for a reaction from. who was a little apprehensive.
“I will say, my daughter was like, ‘Mom don’t do it,’” she said. “‘You’re gonna regret it.’”
“Tomorrow,” Jenna told the camera, “You’ll see the full look.”
After the show, Chris shared insight into the style, sharing he wanted to keep Jenna’s look “a little more modern and sexy,” so that the anchor can be versatile with her hair like Jessica Biel, Leslie and Charlize Theron.
“You can slick it behind your ears, like do the tuck,” he told Today.com in an interview published June 16. “You can wear it natural, you can wear it wavy.”
As I watched the segment I could feel Jenna’s nerves through the screen. She is much braver than I am, but as Chris said to help her calm down, ”Hair grows.” Leslie was so freaking excited about the whole thing that her enthusiasm was making me nervous! The blunt bob looks good on Jenna, though. I looked at a side-by-side picture of her hair before and after, I think the shorter hair looks better on her. She also looks so much like her mother, my goodness. Every few years, I get the urge to cut my hair short, and every single time, I regret it. My hair is too thick and wavy for a bob! I’m currently trying to grow out a terrible bob I got in February 2024, and it’s taking forever. I’m jealous of anyone who can pull it off.
Here’s the video of Jenna getting her haircut on live television:
And how her kids reacted:
