Anchoring a news show requires a sense of calmness and the ability to remain impartial. But even anchors are human and can’t always contain their reactions. The Today Show came to a halt after co-host Sheinelle Jones saw something that made her jaw drop in shock. Keep reading to find out what happened.
Sheinelle Jones Returns To Work After Husband’s Death
Sheinelle Jones has been with the Today Show for over a decade. She was promoted to a co-host role of the morning show’s third hour in 2019. In January 2025, she took a leave of absence to deal with a family health issue. Her husband of nearly twenty years, Uche Ojeh, was battling brain cancer.
She announced in May that he had lost the battle and passed away. Her Today Show co-workers rallied around her. Sheinelle Jones took several more months off to mourn her husband. She finally returned to the show in September.
On Thursday’s episode of the Today Show, hosts Craig Melvin, Al Roker, and Sheinelle Jones were talking about a recent study that found New York City residents wait nearly an hour to be seated in restaurants. While that fact shocked the hosts, that wasn’t why Sheinelle Jones’ jaw dropped.
Today Host’s Jaw Drops At Shocking Sight, Segment Halted
Viewers of the show flock to the Manhattan, New York, studio to stand outside the windows, hoping to see their favorite hosts and maybe make it on TV in the background. Sheinelle Jones got distracted by two of the fans standing outside the studio.
“What? Sorry, somebody’s outside of the window and I know them. Come on in. I used to babysit her children. That’s Ms. Barbara from Wichita,” the co-host said after spotting a familiar face.
The two Today Show viewers were invited into the studio. Sheinelle Jones was completely shocked to realize that the second woman was the little girl she used to babysit back in the day. Her jaw dropped open as she exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! How is she taller than me?”
Sheinelle Jones added, “Okay, that does not happen every day, where people from Wichita that you babysit just happen to walk by.” She asked them if they were randomly visiting NYC. But the woman she used to babysit for said that they specifically came to the city to see her.
Ms. Turner brought a memento from Sheinelle Jones’ younger years with her. She brought a scholarship letter that included a photo of the Today Show host in a cheerleading uniform. Al Roker said that Sheinelle Jones doesn’t look that much different now than she did back then.
The unexpected reunion warmed the hearts of Today Show viewers. Former anchor Hoda Kotb joins Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie to co-host Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 27.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger