As co-hosts of TODAY’s fourth hour, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford were known for their fun chemistry and lighthearted banter.

Kathie Lee definitely has a playful side, but that’s just one facet of her personality, Hoda said of her dear friend on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna on Sept. 24.

“I remember when Kathie Lee was here, people used to think that she was all zany, but in real life she was 90% serious and 10% kind of zany,” Hoda said.

Hoda and Kathie Lee co-hosted TODAY’s fourth hour for 11 years, from 2008 to 2019.

They became close during their time on the show, and they have both opened up over the years about their tightknit friendship.

In late 2018, when Kathie Lee announced her impending departure from the show, Hoda reflected on Kathie Lee’s lasting influence.

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“I always felt sitting next to you was like a master class in this broadcasting business, because nobody, nobody, nobody does it like you do it,” Hoda said. “Nobody ever has and nobody ever will. You are all by yourself. And I think everything is contagious. Your fearlessness is contagious.”

Hoda has also said she felt safe working with Kathie Lee.

In a 2023 interview on iHeartRadio’s “Just B with Bethenny Frankel” podcast, Hoda recalled something Kathie Lee’s late husband, Frank Gifford, told her about working with his wife.

“He said, ‘You have to trust someone to catch you when you fall, and she’s the most trustworthy person I’ve ever known in my life. And if you are like that at all, it will work, because she’ll catch you,’” Hoda said. “And you know what, she did. Over and over again.”

Kathie Lee also shared what Hoda meant to her as she announced her departure from TODAY in 2018.

“You start sharing life, and your friendship shows up on the air. We weren’t colleagues very long — we became friends, and now we’re going to be friends for the rest of our lives, and I’m grateful to God for you,” Kathie Lee told Hoda in a tearful conversation.