(L-R) Justin Sylvester, Kyle Richards, Jenna Bush Hager.Photo:Brandon Hickman/E! ENTERTAINMENT/Getty;Charles Sykes/Bravo/Getty;Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty
Brandon Hickman/E! ENTERTAINMENT/Getty;Charles Sykes/Bravo/Getty;Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty
Justin Sylvestermay have spent the week co-hostingJenna & FriendswithJenna Bush Hager, but it’s the advice he got from his longtime palKyle Richardsthat really helped him feel ready to take on the gig.
“Kyle Richards is always my rock, and her just reminding me to be myself and reminding me that I got this was huge,” he tells PEOPLE in an exclusive chat about his time in the big seat next to Bush Hager.
Sylvester, 38, and Richards, 56, have been friends for many years, dating back to Sylvester’s time as Richards' assistant when she first started onThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Kyle Richards and Justin Sylvester attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 32nd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 10, 2024 in West Hollywood, California.Dia Dipasupil/WireImage
Dia Dipasupil/WireImage
Sylvester also has a history with Bush Hager, too. He first co-hosted the show with her in 2022 as a fill-in forHoda Kotb, and he regularly contributes to the fourth hour’s “The Scoop” segment all about the latest pop culture news in Hollywood.
Sylvester was overjoyed to get the call inviting him to guest co-host for the entire week. He also made a little bit of history, too.
“This is something that I had been praying for and something that I hoped would happen since the day I found out aboutJenna & Friends,” he says, “and to be the first gay BFF was kind of an honor.”
Since kicking offJenna & Friendsin January, Bush Hager’s slate of co-hosts has includedTaraji P. Henson,Eva Longoria,Keke Palmer,Michelle Buteau,Scarlett Johansson, Kelsea Ballerini,Kimberly Schlapman, Ciara, Wynonna Judd, Ego Nwodim,Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, Mikey Day, Cheri Oteri, Chloe Fineman andToday’s own Willie Geist.
Justin Sylvester during a segment on Jenna & Friends on Jan. 13, 2025.Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty
Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty
“Anybody who sits next to Jenna immediately will feel like home,” says Sylvester. “She’s so southern, and us Southern girls are so welcoming, but just to see her in this journey, taking on this role has been a blessing for me, and I’m just so proud to say I have been there since day one.”
He adds of Bush Hager: “I just am reminded every time I see her as to how funny she is. I’m always in stitches in the makeup room, always in stitches during commercial break, and always in stitches on set. I mean, this girl is so funny and just so down to earth, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Jenna Bush Hager on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 on The Today Show.Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Sylvester grew up watching theToday Show, and he says he’s also always been a fan of Al Roker, whose warm greeting in the studio this week made him feel right at home.
“I grew up with all of these people, so to see myself in a monitor or in a photo on that set is so surreal. I’ve been doing The Scoop segment for the last four years, but it’s different when you sit in the chair and you co-host on one of the biggest morning platforms,” he says. “It’s fun to hear, ‘Oh, my mom is a big fan of yours,’ or, ‘My aunt just totally loves you.’ I just love it.”
As for whether or not fans can expect to see him back on the show beside Bush Hager any time soon, Sylvester is busy manifesting.
“Listen, if Jenna said, ‘Will you come hang out with me at Trader Joe’s?’ I would come,” he says with a laugh. “Anyone who gets to sit in that seat should feel honored, and if she wanted me back there, I would be there in a drop of a hat.”
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E! Newsairs Mondays-Thursdays at 11 p.m. ET on E!, andJenna & Friendsairs weekdays at 10 a.m. on NBC.
source: people.com
