NEWSJenna Bush Hager Scolds Al Roker for Calling Her by a Nickname During Awkward 'Today' Show Moment
Jenna Bush Hager objected to Al Roker's 'Big Red' nickname.
Oct. 26 2026, Published 6:55 a.m. ET
Jenna Bush Hager had a pointed response for Al Roker after the longtime weatherman gave her an unexpected nickname on the Today show.
"You can't call somebody, a woman, 'big!'" Hager declared during Thursday, October 22, episode of Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.
Roker's Greeting Left His Female Colleagues Stunned
Jenna Bush Hager's all-red outfit prompted Al Roker's 'Big Red' nickname.
The exchange began earlier in the week when Hager arrived on set. Roker greeted her with a nickname that quickly caught the attention of the women around them.
"Earlier this week when I was wearing red, remember this? And I walked onto the set and Al goes, 'Hey, Big Red!'" Hager recalled while chatting with co-host Sheinelle Jones.
Jones remembered the immediate response from their colleagues, mimicking their reactions as she retold the story.
"And all the girls were like, 'No, no! Don't say that!'" Jones recalled.
The reaction apparently caught Roker off guard.
Jones Explained Why the Nickname Didn't Land Well
Sheinelle Jones explained that Roker's nickname drew criticism because it referred to Hager's size.
Jones recalled Guthrie's response to Roker's remark.
"Savannah's like 'Oh my God, I can't believe you said that,'" Jones explained.
Roker then turned to Jones for an explanation, apparently unaware of why the greeting had caused such a stir.
"And Al leans over to me, and he's like, 'What did I do?'" Jones continued. "And I said, 'You can't say anything that takes up space!'"
Jones offered her own alternative, suggesting that Roker could have called Hager "Skinny Red" instead.
The conversation remained playful as the women recounted the moment.
- Jenna Bush Hager 'Offended' by Sheinelle Jones Giving Her Work Phone Number Instead of Personal: Watch
- Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb Hilariously Share All the Slang Terms Their Kids Use for Them: 'They Call Me Bro!'
- Savannah Guthrie 'Fights' Jenna Bush Hager on Being an 'Elder Millennial': 'Look in the Dictionary'
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Roker's Second Attempt Didn't Win Hager Over
Al Roker tried to remedy the situation by suggesting alternative nicknames for Jenna Bush Hager, but his ideas also fell flat.
After the initial greeting failed to impress his colleagues, Roker apparently tried to come up with other options.
"He came up with all these other things," Jones recalled.
One of those alternatives was "Tall Red," but Hager wasn't any happier with that suggestion.
"I'm like, 'Not okay!'" Hager quipped.
The exchange offered a lighthearted look at the boundaries the co-hosts navigate with one another on air.
Hager Previously Shared Her Children's Nickname for Her
Jenna Bush Hager previously revealed her children call her 'Biggie,' a nickname derived from 'Big Back' that she wished they wouldn't use.
The discussion brought to mind another name Hager has discussed publicly. In May, she revealed that her kids had started calling her "Biggie." Hager shares daughters Mila, 13, and Poppy, 11, and son Hal, 7, with her husband, Henry Hager.
Jenna explained that the nickname came from the phrase "Big Back," which made the term even less appealing to her, according to a publication.
"My children have brought home a term that I wish they'd left at the old door," Jenna said on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle at the time.
She also worried that her kids might use the name when speaking to other adults, including their teachers.
Sheinelle expressed sympathy when Jenna explained the nickname's origins, saying, "I've never heard that. That hurts my feelings."
