Hoda Kotb pokes fun at Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager as she accuses her of 'practically proposing' to husband Henry as soon as she met him

Hoda Kotb left her Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager red-faced on Monday morning after she accused her of coming on too strong when she first met husband Henry Hager 20 years ago.

The duo were discussing Keith Urban's comments about feeling 'scared and nervous' to ask Nicole Kidman out on a date, when Jenna, 42, began reminiscing about when she met her now husband during the 2004 presidential campaign.

'But you made the first move, so he didn't have to right?' Hoda, 59, asked as Jenna replied: 'Exactly,' before retracting and adding: 'No, I didn't really make the first move but kind of... I mean, it was clear.'

'But you know what I like about you, when you like something or want something, you say it, you don't hide it, you don't try to be coy with it, you just say it,' Hoda commented as Jenna admitted: 'Yes, but I sort of held back a little bit and kind of kept my options open a little...'

Hoda Kotb left Jenna Bush Hager red-faced on Monday after she accused her of coming on too strong when she first met her husband

Mother-of-three Jenna admitted that she 'kind of' made the first move when she met her husband 20 years ago

Jenna met Henry Chase Hager during her father George W. Bush's 2004 presidential campaign

Jenna, pictured here with Henry in August 2023, said she 'retracted a little' when she first met him

Hoda wasn't convinced though as Jenna told her: 'Don't give me that look!' as the mother-of-two light-heartedly accused: 'You did not! You practically proposed to him on date three!'

Jenna fired back: 'Well, I did but that was after I knew he was caught,' as Hoda responded: 'Wait, so first you catch and then you take some time back to look?'  

'No, no, at the beginning, yes, I kind of made the first move, and then I retracted a little,' Jenna explained, as Hoda asked her why she did that.

'Because I read the rules!' Jenna replied, as Hoda and the camera crew burst out laughing.

Attempting to explain herself, Jenna continued: 'And I think that you've got to play it... I know that's an annoying thing, but if you act like you're all crazy about somebody... if I had proposed [on] date one, that might have been too strong.'

'But they do say the deal is, is you move in a quarter of the way and let him come three quarters, and then you just old your one quarter,' Hoda claimed as Jenna admitted: 'Well, I didn't hold it! I came all in!'

She then asked Hoda: 'Okay, have you ever been intimidated to make a first move?'

Hoda replied: 'If I really like somebody, I'll say something like, "oh, I hope we have another date," I don't mind saying that.

The duo were discussing Keith Urban's comments about feeling 'scared and nervous' to ask Nicole Kidman out on a date, when Jenna, 42, began reminiscing

Henry and Jenna got engaged in November 2007 and married in May the following year

The couple pictured with their three children - Mila, 11, Poppy, eight, and four-year-old Hal

'I'm not like, "so is he going to call me?" I think it's good to put it out there but I do think just basic human nature is when something is gushing 100 miles an hour, you back up, and when something is dripping, sadly, you lean in. 

'So, it's got to be somewhere in the middle, you deserve a lot,' she added.

'And then as soon as they're caught, you can propose, but give them a couple of months!' Jenna joked.

Jenna and Henry got engaged in November 2007 after he asked President Bush for his permission.

The wedding took place during a private ceremony on May 10, 2008, at Jenna's parents' Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas.  

The happy couple are now parents to daughters Mila, 11, and Poppy, eight, and four-year-old son Hal.