NBCs Laura Jarrett her week has begun Today WITH Hoda Kotb.

Jarrett, 40, replaced Jenna Bush Hager in the episode of Monday, October 28 of Today with Hoda and Jenna. “Jenna is a little under the weather. All her kids got sick,” Kotb, 60, explained at the top of the episode. “You can’t get rid of germs. I’m in the house, so she’s taking a little break.” (Bush Hager, 42, shares three children with her husband Henry Hager.)

Addressing her replacement co-hosts, Kotb added: “You worked on Saturday, you had a little day off (Sunday) and now you’re back again.” Jarrett co-hosts Saturday Today with Peter Alexander.

Jarrett’s Hoda and Jenna The guest hosting gig comes amid rumors that she will take over Kotb’s role as Bush Hager’s fourth co-host and Savannah Guthriehis Today coach as he leaves the NBC morning show early next year. Kotb announced his decision to a Exit Today after 26 years at NBC last month.

Related: “Today” show hosts react to Hoda Kotb’s surprise exit

The news of Hoda Kotb’s exit from the Today show is bittersweet for her co-hosts. “I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What will he have for me?” Kotb, (…)

“The big contender everyone at the network is talking about is Laura Jarrett,” an NBC insider said exclusively. We weekly on September 26. “She is the anchor of Weekend Today; she is a lawyer like Savannah. She’s a sweetheart at Today show who rose very quickly.”

Jarret joined NBC News in 2022 and replaced Kristen Welker as a co-host Saturday Today in September 2023.

Insider noted that the other Today personalities such as Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and Carson Daly might as well be up for the job. If Jarrett were named Kotb’s successor, the source says the “big question” would be “Who does he move to the weekend spot?”

While announcing it Today exit, Kotb explained that he is turning 60 and wants to spend more time with her daughters — Haley, 7, and Hope, 5 — played a big part in her decision to leave the show. The NBC insider later revealed that it was recently “very focused” on welfare in preparation for her Making Space wellness retreat held over the weekend at the Miraval Austin Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas.

Kotb confirmed that her next career move will involve health on the Friday, October 25 episode of Hoda and Jennastating, “What I want to do is to live well. I want to work in that space. I want to get things started. I have things seeping in and hopefully I’ll have them fully formed soon.”

Related: Hoda Kotb is overwhelmed by the support of fans after the news of her exit from today’s show

Hoda Kotb is feeling the love from fans after announcing she will soon be leaving the Today show after 26 years at NBC. “Happy Friday…thanks for the nice posts and notes. I read them all,” Kotb, 60, wrote on Instagram on Friday, September 27. “It is almost too much for my heart to (…)

Kotb told Jarrett about hosting her first wellness retreat on Monday’s episode of the show. “This thing ticked all the boxes. It was everything. There were great speakers, it was meditative,” she said. “It was all the things I love.”

Kotb recalled that each of the participants “came for different reasons,” adding, “I felt like a tremendous responsibility to make this a great experience for everyone. And I have to say, I have nothing to do with it, it was a great, great, great weekend for everyone. Nobody wanted to leave. … It was beautiful and loving and meaningful and meant everything to me.”

Jarrett noted that the wellness retreat was something Kotb had been talking about “since I got to NBC.” She stated, “I’ve heard you talk about your vision for this, and to finally see you execute your vision on your vision (is great).”