Hoda Kotb grins and giggles as crush Blake Shelton professes his love

Hoda Kotb was grinning from ear to ear while spending the fourth hour of the Today show on Wednesday with a very special guest: her crush Blake Shelton.

The 41-year-old country singer sat in for 53-year-old Hoda’s usual co-host, Kathie Lee Gifford, while they had a pre-party for the 2018 CMT Music Awards at his new Nashville bar, Ole Red.

Hoda was clearly thrilled to be hanging out with her friend, and she declared it her ‘favorite day ever’ after Blake gushed about how much he loves her. 

  

All smiles: Hoda Kotb’s crush Blake Shelton co-hosted the fourth hour of the Today show with her on Wednesday 

Smitten: Hoda, 53, declared it her 'favorite day ever' after Blake gushed about how much he loves her

Smitten: Hoda, 53, declared it her 'favorite day ever' after Blake gushed about how much he loves her

Smitten: Hoda, 53, declared it her ‘favorite day ever’ after Blake gushed about how much he loves her

Old friends: The two were co-hosting a pre-party for the 2018 CMT Music Awards at his new Nashville bar, Ole Red, and they held hands after sharing their mutual affection for each other

Old friends: The two were co-hosting a pre-party for the 2018 CMT Music Awards at his new Nashville bar, Ole Red, and they held hands after sharing their mutual affection for each other

‘I’m sitting here with Blake Shelton, y’all. Blake Shelton,’ she told the audience, but The Voice star was just as happy to be with her.

‘I’m sitting here with Hoda at Ole Red, my bar,’ he responded. ‘This is really happening. This is like an out of body experience. 

‘I have been thinking about this forever,’ he gushed. ‘I have been dreaming about this for months. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Hoda was all smiles as she announced: ‘Today is my favorite day ever.’  

The two were both sipping on wine — white for Hoda and red for Blake — and they were clearly having a great time together.   

Switching careers? Earlier in the day, Hoda stood outside the bar with a guitar and sang Friends In Low Places

Switching careers? Earlier in the day, Hoda stood outside the bar with a guitar and sang Friends In Low Places

Don't quit your day job: I think you need to work on timing and your pitch and maybe your actual tone a little bit, but you look like a star,' Blake said of her performance 

Don’t quit your day job: I think you need to work on timing and your pitch and maybe your actual tone a little bit, but you look like a star,’ Blake said of her performance 

Cheers to Nashville! The two sipped on wine and cocktails during the segment 

Cheers to Nashville! The two sipped on wine and cocktails during the segment 

At one point the Today show host reached over and removed Blake’s earphone, explaining that they can’t hear.

‘That [earphone] sucks. Oh my God, how do you do this? Maybe that’s what’s wrong with Kathie,’ Blake joked.

Earlier in the day, Hoda stood outside the bar with a guitar and sang Friends In Low Places, and she admitted to Blake she was shocked her sister hadn’t called her yet to talk about it.

And while Blake is used to critiquing performances on The Voice, he chose his words carefully when he shared his thoughts about her rendition of Garth Brooks’ hit.

Having a blast: Hoda was clearly thrilled to spending time with her friend 

Having a blast: Hoda was clearly thrilled to spending time with her friend 

Say cheese: Hoda struck a pose with Blake and singer Darius Rucker on Wednesday 

Say cheese: Hoda struck a pose with Blake and singer Darius Rucker on Wednesday 

‘You know what? I’ve learned over the years that the jokes that come to my mind, I just need to not… I’m not going to talk about it,’ Blake said of Hoda’s performance. 

‘I thought you were great. I thought you were awesome,’ he said, adding: ‘I think you need to work on timing and your pitch and maybe your actual tone a little bit, but you look like a star.’

The two later moved on to drinking cocktails, and they clinked their glasses together while toasting to Nashville.

‘Oh my God, mmm,’ Hoda said of her drink, which was garnished with a pinapple slice and a flower. 

Blake's biggest fan: Hoda took her fandom to another level in September when she was seen leaving Studio 1A carrying a cardboard cutout of the country star

Blake’s biggest fan: Hoda took her fandom to another level in September when she was seen leaving Studio 1A carrying a cardboard cutout of the country star

Paying tribute: The Today anchor also famously renamed her dog Blake (pictured) after he called her asking why she didn't name the pooch after him 

Paying tribute: The Today anchor also famously renamed her dog Blake (pictured) after he called her asking why she didn’t name the pooch after him 

Real-life love: Hoda has been in a relationship with her longtime partner, financier Joel Schiffman (pictured), for years 

Real-life love: Hoda has been in a relationship with her longtime partner, financier Joel Schiffman (pictured), for years 

Family: She and Joel are raising her one-year-old daughter, Haley Joy (pictured), together 

Family: She and Joel are raising her one-year-old daughter, Haley Joy (pictured), together 

Although Hoda is in a longtime relationship with her partner, financier Joel Schiffman, it’s no secret that she is one of Blake’s biggest fans.  

She took her fandom to another level in September when she was seen leaving Studio 1A carrying a cardboard cutout of the country star.

The mother-of-one posted a hilarious Instagram photo of herself leaving work with the cutout under her arm as she made her way through the streets of New York City.  

‘Oh nothing. Just crossing the street with @blakeshelton. Totally normal,’ she captioned the photo, which shows her looking as casual as can be.

Hoda also famously renamed her dog Blake after the country singer called her on the show five years ago to ask why she didn’t name the pooch after him.



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