TODAY co-anchors Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb might not be co-hosts forever, but they will always be friends. After Kotb announced her decision to leave the stalwart morning show in early 2025 to spend more time with her daughters, Hager tearfully opened up about how much their relationship has meant to her. Here’s what she had to say.

Jenna Bush Hager says goodbye to Hoda Kotb

“You are who I come to. When I’m feeling joyful, when I’m feeling unsure, you are who I come to,” Hager told Kotb during the Hoda & Jenna hour. The two have previously opened up about their close relationship, with Hager even helping to arrange dates for Kotb.

As Hager tells it, they were close from the start. “You believed in me first,” she told Kotb through tears, explaining to the audience, “This lady, on October 28, 2013, said…’Hey, wanna come sit next to me?’” And a partnership was born.

Kotb said that the admiration was mutual and instantaneous: “Looking at you and seeing magic was one of the easiest things I’ve ever seen.”

George W. Bush’s hilarious reaction to seeing his daughter with HodaSavannah Guthrie Hoda Kotb Jenna Bush Hager

Like any excited daughter would, Hager called her dad when she got the TODAY gig. Her dad just happens to be the former President of the United States George W. Bush. He told her what he thought without sugar-coating anything. “‘I’m so happy for you. Hoda is the star,’” he said, adding, “‘you’re going to be okay with that, right?’”

Reading the comments on the Instagram video of their interaction, it’s clear that he’s not the only one totally taken with Kotb. “This is what I’ll miss the most- their love & friendship we get to see everyday ❤️” wrote one fan. Added another, “Hoda gets life in ways we could all learn from and grow. Thank you for being an amazing role model. Enjoy this next decade. Well deserved.❤️”

Hoda called Jenna her ride-or-die

In a letter to the staff of TODAY, Kotb opened up about leaving the show, pegging her exit to early 2025, and expressing her gratitude for the many important friendships she has at NBC.

“Savannah: my rock. Jenna: my ride-or-die. Al: my longest friend at 30 Rock,” she wrote, referring to Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager and Al Roker. And we’re crying again.

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