Jenna Bush Hager's Mom Laura Bush Is Reportedly Not A Fan Of Her New Today Show Gig

Source: Today

Jenna Bush Hager is enjoying her new co-hosting duties on the Today show, but her mom, Laura Bush, is not happy about all the day drinking that goes on during her segment. Hager admitted that the former First Lady has criticized her for drinking wine on set, even though the beverages are mostly there for show.

“My mom judges, just so you know. She kind of does,” Hager shared. “But [the wine] is just there as a symbolic thing like, ‘come and sit with us and come hang out with us.'”

Hager is scheduled to co-host with Hoda Kotb once Kathie Lee Gifford retires next month. She first appeared on the show back in 2011 and drank a bit of wine to deal with the stress. Bush did not say anything about it at the time, but now that Hager is a full-time co-host, she admitted that serving alcohol before noon is in poor taste.

For Hager, the wine that is featured on the show is not for everyday consumption. According to Radar Online, Hager revealed that the drinks are meant to establish a more relaxing atmosphere on the set and that only some of the guests actually drink it.

In fact, Hager revealed that there are many days that she’s so busy that she doesn’t get a chance to relax on set and some days she does.

Gifford, meanwhile, announced her departure from Today earlier this year. The longtime host, who has been a part of the show for the past 10 years, was reportedly angry with how the network handled Matt Lauer and Megyn Kelly’s departures. With her ratings continuing to plummet, Gifford felt like it was time to pull the plug and move on to other projects.

Hager was reportedly angry that producers did not name her as Gifford’s replacement right away. This week, Gifford confirmed that Hager will be taking over duties as soon as she leaves this coming April.

Whether or not Jenna Bush Hager is well received alongside Kotb, is yet to be seen.