Are Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager best friends? 'Today' hosts take trivia on National Girlfriends Day

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’ hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager share a heartwarming and genuine friendship that has deepened with years of them working together on the show. The foundation of their friendship was tested in a recent episode of ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’ as the duo celebrated National Girlfriends Day by playing a ‘best friends 4 eva’ trivia.

Tuesday, August 1 marked National Girlfriends Day, a special occasion that also celebrates the bonds of friendship between women. The beautiful day provides an opportunity for women to express their love and gratitude for their female friends and something similar happened in the ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’ episode. Kotb and Hager played a spirited game of ‘best friend 4eva?’ on a live show to reflect on their strong friendship and how well they really know each other.

Are Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager ‘best friends 4va’?

On National Girlfriends Day, Kotb and Hager’s friendship stands as a beautiful testament to the power of meaningful connections. Although their strong bond is reflected both on and off camera, recently it was put to test as the ‘Today’ hosts found out if they “really know each other” while playing a spirited game of ‘best friend 4eva’. The game was fun and lighthearted and they had to jot down answers to simple questions about each other, hoping to match each others' responses in a delightful display of friendship. The first question was, “What is the best way to reach Hoda- email, text, phone call, or FaceTime?” When Kotb and Hager held up their cards, their answer expectedly matched, saying FaceTime. Kotb chimed in, saying, “I always pick up a FaceTime,” as Hager agreed, “It’s true.”

Despite their best efforts, Kotb and Hager couldn't match each other's answers two times in a row during the game. Kotb guessed that Hager’s favorite dessert was key lime pie, but Hager revealed that it was either ice cream or banana pudding, leaving them with different responses once again. Hager said, “I was trying to give you a lot of choices. I said it was going to be a hard one.” The pair moved to the third question where Hager failed to guess correctly. The question asked Kotb’s favorite movie to which Hager said, “Maid in Manhattan.” However, it was ‘Love Actually’. However, she added that ‘Maid in Manhattan’ is in her top five. Moving toward the last question, Kotb named Hager’s favorite holiday to be Christmas which turned out to be correct.

Jenna Bush Hager irked by Hoda Kotb’s ‘Irish Goodbye’

Earlier last year, Hager couldn’t help but express a bit of annoyance at Kotb’s tendency to leave parties without bidding farewell, a practice playfully referred to as an "Irish goodbye.” As Hager’s curiosity rose, she turned to one of Kotb’s sorority sisters from their days at Virginia Tech University, Mary Robertson during a 'Today' episode. She asked, “I’m wondering when this originated. Hoda now likes to go to a party, do a quick circle, and then sneak out before anybody can even witness it. It’s called the Ho-dini. Did she do that sort of Irish exiting thing when you were (in school)?” Robertson, with a touch of humor, replied, “No, but I am Irish so I could see how that might have (influenced her).” Hager playfully asked, “Are you telling us that you taught her the Ho-dini?” Robertson responded mischievously, “Maybe? My family knows how to get out the back door.”