Jenna Bush Hager Calls Out Al Roker for 'Big Red' Nickname

Jenna Bush Hager has publicly addressed Al Roker's use of the nickname "Big Red" for her, stating her disapproval of the moniker.

During Thursday's broadcast of "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle," Bush Hager recounted an instance earlier in the week when Roker called her "Big Red" as she entered the set wearing a red outfit. "And all the girls were like, ‘No, no! Don’t say that!’" co-host Sheinelle Jones confirmed, recalling the reactions.

Bush Hager asserted that it is inappropriate to call a woman "big," emphasizing her discomfort with the nickname. Jones suggested that Roker should have opted for "Skinny Red" instead. According to Jones, "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie reacted with disbelief, saying, "Oh my God, I can’t believe you said that." Roker then inquired what he had done, prompting Jones to reply, "You can’t say anything that takes up space!"

Roker attempted to de-escalate the situation by suggesting alternative nicknames like "Tall Red," but Bush Hager remained firm in her objection. "I’m like, ‘Not okay!’" she exclaimed.

While Bush Hager addressed the incident with humor on air, she has previously spoken about her struggles with body image. In 2023, she shared that she had dealt with these feelings since the age of nine and that having children had helped her shift her perspective. "I think having children, and your body changing in that way, is such a good reset where you realize, ‘Wow, I’ve been doing this incredible thing, and my body is so much more than a vessel to be made fun of, to be worrying about,'" she said at the time. She also noted finding a fourth-grade journal where her New Year's resolution was to lose five pounds, a detail that struck her as particularly poignant given her eldest daughter is now in fourth grade.