“Today” correspondent Jenna Bush Hager is in the running for a new NBCUniversal daytime talk show in development that could eventually replace “The Meredith Vieira Show,” sources told Page Six.
The Bush daughter is one of several people testing for a panel-style chat program to replace “Vieira,” which has seen soft ratings since its launch last season.
Hager, 33, was spotted out in Los Angeles last week testing for the potential pilot, which we hear would include both male and female hosts. We hear that “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actress Tatyana Ali was also among those testing for a host seat.
Hager, who is pregnant with her second child, is well-liked among NBC execs, having grown into her role as a contributing correspondent for “Today.” Since joining the show in 2009, she has filled in regularly for various co-anchors in the 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. hours. Meanwhile, Hager and her “Today” colleagues are now within arm’s reach of their ABC rival “Good Morning America” in the ratings.
But one insider said of Hager, “She’s not going to move up at ‘Today’ given all of the other personalities, so testing for another show is a natural progression.”
A source close to Hager told us, “Jenna loves her job and the people she works with, and couldn’t be happier at the ‘Today’ show.” And a “Today” exec added, “Jenna’s been at the ‘Today’ show for nearly six years, and we want her here for many more years to come.”
Since Vieira’s daytime program launched last year, it has lagged in the ratings behind shows hosted by Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams and Dr. Phil. But NBC execs still picked up the program for a second season.
Meanwhile, more competition’s on the way. In the fall, Disney/ABC plans to launch syndicated lifestyle show “The FAB Life,” hosted by Tyra Banks, with Chrissy Teigen, Yahoo Style editor Joe Zee, YouTube star Leah Ashley and interior designer Lauren Makk.