Jenna Bush Hager will replace Kathie Lee Gifford on 'Today's fourth hour with Hoda Kotb

Kathie Lee Gifford's "Today" chair will be filled by someone fans already know and love: Jenna Bush Hager will co-host the NBC show's fourth hour with Hoda Kotb, execs confirmed Tuesday.

Hager, 37, has been with "Today" for nearly as long as Gifford. She joined the show as a contributor in 2009, just one year after Gifford settled into her spot, and gradually ascended to become a prominent fixture of the daily broadcast.

Hager told People she's "so excited, I can't believe it ... It just feels like the right time for me."

Many within the "Today" family expected the former first daughter to succeed Gifford: "She is a favorite among viewers and staffers, and she has already filled in for Kathie Lee every time she's been away."

Kotb had nothing but positive words to say about her soon-to-be co-host.

"Being around Jenna is like being around the most real person," Kotb told People. "She says exactly what she thinks and believes, and there's something about her that makes you do two things: You lean in because you want to know more, and also you kind of weirdly tell her your secrets, and you're like, 'Oh my God, I just blurted all that out!'"

NBC News president Noah Oppenheim told staffers that the show is "evolving" and that more changes and surprises are ahead in the coming months.

Gifford revealed in December that after more than a decade on "Today," she's ready to step away and pursue her own projects. Her final day on the show will be April 5, her 11-year anniversary on the show.