Hoda Kotb stepped out into the Today with Hoda & Jenna studios on Thursday morning with a familiar face - but it wasn't Jenna Bush Hager!
Instead, Hoda sat next to Laura Jarrett, revealing the reason for Jenna's absence at the start of the show.
The popular TV anchor explained: "Jenna is not here today, she's feeling a little under the weather, but she will bounce back as she does."
She then turned to Laura, who was dressed in a bright pink blazer teamed with chic black pants, and said: "I've got Laura Jarrett, you guys probably know her as the co-anchor of Today."
The mother-of-two went on to ask Laura how she was finding her time working on the Saturday show, having started the gig several months ago.
© NBC"It's so much fun!" she exclaimed. "Peter [Alexander] and I are having a ball, but it's so much being here with you today on a Thursday!"
After reflecting on the fact they share a makeup room together, and their close bond as a result, Hoda turned to the viewers at home to explain why today was a "big day".
Discussing leap day, Hoda and Laura reflected on the earlier segment of Today, which had seen crowds of people in the plaza all with one thing in common - a leap year birthday.
The show was as action-packed as ever, with guests including Amber Riley joining Hoda and Laura, to discuss her new film, Single Black Female 2: Simone's Revenge, as well as opening up about her late Glee co-star Naya Rivera, and how she helps to honor her memory.
© Getty ImagesHoda has been working on the Fourth Hour of Today for many years, and has been working alongside Jenna since 2019, following former co-star Kathie Lee Gifford's retirement.
Hoda and Jenna are great friends and recently chatted to HELLO! at Savannah Guthrie's book launch party, following the release of her book, Mostly What God Does, which sold out on the first day of its release - even breaking Amazon for several hours as a result of its popularity.
The pair were both praised by Savannah for helping to encourage her with her writing, and they couldn't have been more proud of their friend.
"The baby's here!" Hoda joked as they spoke to HELLO! about Savannah's book finally hitting the shelves. "We definitely tried to encourage her because it was really hard to write about something as personal as faith," Jenna added.
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