Jerry O’Connell Wants To Replace Kathie Lee Gifford & Sit With Hoda Kotb On ‘Today’
Jerry O’Connell is looking to replace Kathie Lee Gifford on Today. After it was announced last week that Hoda Kotb’s longtime co-host would be leaving the NBC morning show after 11 years, the actor is now putting his name in the running to potentially take over. Speaking to E! News, Jerry admitted that he would, “of course,” love to take on the vacant chair.
“To work with Hoda? Of course! Anybody would be,” he told the outlet when asked if he’d be interested in working alongside the anchor. “It would be an honor. Yes, of course.”
But while Rebecca Romijn’s husband is pretty enthusiastic about potentially taking over for Kathie Lee, he admitted that he hasn’t been asked by producers to take on the role in the fourth hour of the show just yet.
“Officially, I have not heard anything. I love that format. I love Hoda,” O’Connell said. “Hoda is an infectious, beautiful soul. It’s such an exciting time in her life. It would be an honor for anyone who gets to be there with her.”
But despite his enthusiasm and big reveal that he’d love the job, he appeared to be pretty certain that fans won’t be tuning in to the Hoda and Jerry hour on Today anytime soon once Kathie Lee leaves the show for good in April 2019.
“Is it happening? No,” he told the site.
O’Connell is no stranger to a hosting role though, as the star has stepped in to guest host The Wendy Williams Show on a number of occasions in the past.
As Entertainment Tonight reported, he stepped in for the host while she took a hiatus from her daytime talk show back in March due to health concerns.
Here’s a look back at last week’s fun with Hoda Kotb. Never a dull moment! Have a blessed day, everyone ?? pic.twitter.com/F6pFoTUZBT
— Kathie Lee Gifford (@KathieLGifford) September 30, 2018
O’Connell has also appeared alongside Kotb and Gifford on the Today show before, making his last appearance on the morning show just this past September when he co-hosted with the duo during their fourth hour.
Jerry’s latest confessions about his hopes to sit alongside Hoda come shortly after it was revealed that the news anchor knew about Kathie Lee’s plans to leave for a while before it was officially announced to the world.
“Hoda’s known it for a long, long time,” Gifford said on Today last week, per Celebrity Insider. “All these other projects have been bubbling up…and it’s so exciting. Movies and music and so many wonderful things. And I need the time for them to do them properly.”
Kathie Lee Gifford is expected to make her final appearance on Today alongside Hoda Kotb on April 7, 2019. Her replacement, whether it be Jerry O’Connell or someone else, is expected to be announced in the coming months.
