The Today show is undergoing some major retooling.
As you’ve likely heard, Hoda Kotb has stepped away last week after nearly 17 years at the anchors’ desk. And she’s been replaced by Craig Melvin, who will now be seated alongside Savannah Guthrie for the show’s third hour.
Obviously, there’s been a lot of coverage surrounding those changes. But another personnel shakeup has been mostly swept under the rug.
Where Is Sheinelle Jones?
If you’re a regular Today viewer, you might have noticed that Sheinelle Jones has been absent from the show since before Christmas.
She missed the weeklong “Hodabration” in Kotb’s final episodes, and curiously, Sheinelle’s colleagues have scarcely acknowledged her absence.
“Sheinelle is off,” Al Roker briefly explained on January 10 before introducing her temporary replacement, Jill Martin.
Not surprisingly, the situation has sparked concern among fans.
“Another day without @SheinelleJones on @TODAYshow and no explanation? What is going on? We need answers,” an X (formerly Twitter user) named Terrace Miller tweeted during this morning’s broadcast.
And as Parade points out, Terrace was not alone in her confusion:
“Not even a recorded piece from @SheinelleJones on the @TODAYshow for @hodakotb‘s last day?! Seems odd. Hope she’s ok,” another user wrote amid Hoda’s farewell party last week.
“I wonder if she got fired or didn’t take a pay cut or something as they don’t mention her. Best wishes Hoda and best to Sheinelle hope all is well!” a third viewer wrote.
“I loved the HODA bration but really wondered why Sheinelle Jones wasn’t among the cast?” a fourth person asked.
“@TODAYshow can u tell us where Sheinelle Jones is? So odd she is missing the #Hoda K’s farewell!” a fifth chimed in.
An Ongoing Mystery
While Sheinelle’s absence remains unexplained, it’s important to note that this is not the first time she’s stepped away from Today.
Sheinelle took a brief hiatus in November of 2024 in order to attend a conference.
“I wasn’t here Friday, I went right outside of Philadelphia to speak with the Society of Professional Women,” she said upon her return on November 18.
At the time, Jones explained that she “stayed until the very end and talked to almost every single one of the women when it was over. I love that kind of stuff.”
So it’s possible that Sheinelle is simply on hiatus and is still planning to return to the anchors’ desk. But the silence from NBC and Today is certainly unnerving.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.