Jenna Bush Hager Speaks On Status Of Hoda Kotb's Love Life After Joel Schiffman Split

By all appearances, Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman were on the road to wedding bliss when they pulled the plug on their eight-year relationship. Kotb originally announced that she was engaged to the financier on "Today" in 2019, and she also shared the sad news of their split on the morning show in January 2022. "Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and really meaningful conversations over the holidays, and we decided that we're better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple," she explained. Because the exes share two daughters, Haley and Hope, Schiffman will always remain a fixture in Kotb's life.

The 58-year-old confessed that it was difficult for her to discuss the breakup on the show, but because she'd always been so willing to share some of her happier relationship moments with "Today" viewers, she seemingly felt an obligation to inform them about what was going on. Balancing a high-profile career with adjusting to the new challenges of co-parenting two young kids might seem like a lot to handle, but four months after Kotb and Schiffman called it quits, the news anchor told People that she was ready to find love again. She recalled how she told her sister, "I'm not going to be by myself." 

Luckily, Jenna Bush Hager is helping her co-host on her romantic quest — and Hager is keeping fans updated on her progress.

In early October, the topic of Hoda Kotb's love life came up on "Today with Hoda & Jenna." Jenna Bush Hager offered to do her co-host a solid by trying to set her up with a guy, and to Hager's amazement, Kotb accepted her help. She explained that Hager makes an ideal matchmaker for her because the two women know each other so well and she trusts Hager's judgment. The Texas native updated E! News on her assignment a few weeks later and confessed that her search hadn't yet been fruitful. "I can't reveal any of my sources yet, but that also just means I haven't found the right guy for her," Hager said.

The optimistic co-anchor also revealed that her standards are very high, showing just how much she cares about Kotb's happiness. "She of course deserves the smartest, the funniest and the man with the biggest heart," said Hager, vowing to hunt down the unicorn who fits this description.

Hager isn't the only "Today" host who is eager to help Kotb. Speaking to People, Savannah Guthrie revealed that she's keeping her own eyes peeled for a potential love match, and she also expects nothing less than the best for her friend. "I don't want to go through my application process," she quipped. "The screening will be detailed." So, while Kotb's search for Mr. Right continues, at least she's surrounded by pals whose hearts are in the right place!