Jenna Bush Hager Reacts to Hoda Kotb's Secret Shout-Out to Her During the Macy's Day Parade Live Coverage

Hoda Kotb sent Jenna Bush Hager a secret shout-out during the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Bush Hager shared the exact moment it happened on Instagram.

"Only one person does this. Poppy, what's about to happen?" Bush Hager can be heard saying excitedly to her daughter Poppy, 9, in her Thursday, Nov. 28 post.

Kotb is then seen on the TV screen next to co-host Savanna Guthrie, and — while appearing to move to the Chappell Roan song 'Hot 2 Go" — Kotb quickly pumps her fists towards her chest.

"So thankful for my most hilarious and LOYAL @hodakotb who always comes through! With assist by my dearest @savannahguthrie !!! That was a (not so!) secret dance move!" Bush Hager captioned her post.

On the Wednesday, Nov. 27, episode ofToday, Kotb, 60, revealed that she planned to send her friend and co-anchor, 43, a secret shout-out while hosting the iconic live event on NBC this year.

And as for what that secret shout-out would be?

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the symbol,” Kotb said. “I’ve been thinking like, what could it possibly be? And there’s only one thing It could be. So, I don’t know if you guys remember, but there’s a song called ‘RockaFellaCenta’ that Matt Rogers does with Bowen Yang, and there’s a part of it where he says, ‘I’m waiting outside and I’m looking for Jenna Bush Hager, Jenna Bush Hager.’ Whenever I see Jenna, I go like this.”

She then proceeded to put up two fists and shake them towards herself. “It’s sort of our call sign,” Bush Hager explained, with Kotb adding, “Watch for it!”

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the second year in a row that the Kathie Lee & Hoda alum gave a secret shout-out to her friend.

“Last year, Hoda and I came up with this secret symbol, which was Hoda brushing her teeth with a finger, remember?” Bush Hager said on the Today episode.

“That was the indicator that I was thinking about Jenna,” Kotb added.

While Bush Hager revealed that she missed the moment live last year because her "Christmas tree fell down," she shared that fans flocked to social media to let her know about it, noting that it “made my whole Thanksgiving.”

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Kotb announced that she would be leaving Today back in September, revealing that her last show would be in early 2025.

She and Bush Hager discussed the decision live on air during the Sept. 26 episode, with both women getting emotional.

"You are who I come to. You are who believed in me first," Bush Hager said. "On October 28, 2013 — I looked it up — you said, 'Hey, wanna come sit next to me? There's room.' "

"Looking at you and seeing magic was one of the easiest things," Kotb replied, adding, "It's your turn. "Whoever sits in this seat is going to have the easiest job in the world because they're sitting next to you."

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