Jenna Bush Hager Shares Heartbreaking Reaction To Hoda Kotb’s Retirement News

"You are who I come to, and you believed in me first.”

Jenna Bush Hager reacted to her longtime friend and co-host’s retirement announcement with an avalanche of tears Thursday.

Hours after Hoda Kotb's emotional revelation that she is leaving Today next year, Bush Hager tearfully recalled how instrumental Kotb was in bringing her onboard the popular morning news show.

"You are who I come to, and you believed in me first," she told her. "We have a lot of bosses and I love them, but this lady on Oct. 28, 2013—I looked it up—said, 'Hey, want to come sit next to me? There’s room.'"

"Looking at you and seeing magic was one of the easiest things I’ve ever seen in my life," Kotb replied.

The pair celebrated five years of co-hosting the fourth hour of Today in April.

Kotb admitted that it was a hard decision, but after going “back and forth,” she decided that it was time. She said that celebrating her 60th birthday in August caused her to reflect, and ultimately inspired her to make a change.

"I think when I look back on my 60s—10 years from now—it's going to be filled with new adventures, working my entrepreneur skills hopefully, and also watching my kids take baby steps,” she said. “And that's it."

However, she knew leaving Bush Hager was going to be a hard.

"Certain relationships are one in a million, and this is," Kotb told her. "And that's why it's hard, because saying goodbye to something that's not working, something's that tired, something you don't want, is easy. But saying goodbye to something that's amazing is hard.”

Bush Hager revealed that she went to her father, former president George W. Bush, for advice on the loss of her colleague. He told her: ‘Oh, she's leaving because it’s time, and you’re going to be fine. It’s your turn. It's OK.'"

"It’s your turn," Kotb agreed. "Whoever sits in this seat is going to have the easiest job in the world because they're sitting next to you. The only thing they have to do is not laugh so hard they pee their pants. That it's, they just have to hang on. You’re this bright light, you always have been, and it’s your turn. Your dad is so wise."

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