Hoda Kotb has revealed that she went out of her way to ask Harry Styles to film a video shout out to Willie Geist’s 12-year-old daughter Lucie — only to give him the wrong name.
The Today anchor, who has a history of forgetting the names of her co-stars’ children, opened up about the awkward moment on Thursday morning’s show, admitting she was initially bummed that Willie wasn’t more excited about the video.
‘I just have to get this off my chest because I told Jenna [Bush Hager] this, and I feel terrible about it,’ Hoda, 55, said during the fourth-hour segment.
Whoops! Hoda Kotb revealed she asked Harry Styles to give her co-star Willie Geist’s 12-year-old daughter a video shout out but gave him the wrong name
Family: Willie, 44, and his wife, Christina, have two children: Lucie, 12, and George, 10
The journalist explained that Harry, 26, visited the Today show plaza on Wednesday to perform his hit song ‘Watermelon Sugar.’ Willie, 44, was called in to fill in for Savannah Guthrie because she wasn’t feeling well.
‘Willie’s like, “Oh my God, my daughter’s going to kill me. She’s not here.” I was hatching my plan already.’ she recalled. ‘He goes, “She’s going to be so upset,” and I go, “Oh don’t worry.”‘
Hoda said she had about three-minutes on set with Harry during a commercial break when she asked him for a favor.
‘I was like, “Hey can you help me out, Harry? Can you just say I love you, Lily?”‘ she recalled.
Doting dad: Willie had to fill in for Savannah Guthrie on the Today show on Wednesday, and he was worried that his daughter would be upset he didn’t bring her to the plaza to meet Harry
It’s the thought that counts! Knowing that Lucie is a huge fan, Hoda asked the singer to film a video saying: ‘I love you, Lily’
Harry was happy to help out, and Hoda went on to mimic the message he said while she filmed him.
‘He’s like, “Hello, Lily, I love you. I love you, Lily,”‘ she said in her best British accent. ‘So I texted Willie, and I waited an hour, two hours, three hours. I got nothing, and I was like, man, that’s so weird. Willie, he didn’t respond.’
It wasn’t until she talked to her co-host Jenna that she realized she had made a hilarious blunder.
Hoda explained: ‘Jenna goes, “Her daughter’s name is…”‘
Cringe-worthy: Hoda opened up about the awkward blunder on Thursday’s show, explaining she couldn’t figure out why Willie never responded to the video she sent him
Oh no: Hoda said it wasn’t until her co-star Jenna Bush Hager told her that his daughter’s name is Lucie, not Lily, that she realized her mistake
‘Lucie!’ Jenna interjected, prompting the audience to burst into laughter over the cringe-worthy moment.
‘I was literally like, “Oh my God.”‘ So if there’s anybody here named Lily, I have a video for you, and you’re going to love it,’ Hoda joked.
‘How awesome and how sweet of Hoda to do that,’ Jenna said, adding: ‘But don’t you always mess up the name.’
Jenna, 38, has had the same issue with her co-star and friend, who can never seem to remember the name of her baby boy, Hal.
Forgetful: Hoda admitted on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen earlier this month that she can never remember the name of Jenna’s baby boy, Hal, who was born in August 2019
Honest mistake: Even though Jenna has reminded Hoda of her son’s name numerous times, she always forgets when she’s put on the spot
When the two appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen earlier this month, Jenna couldn’t resist pointing out that Hoda always forgets the name of her only son, who was born in August 2019.
‘Hoda, what’s the name of my child?’ she asked.
‘I keep forgetting it,’ Hoda admitted. ‘It’s…’
Jenna insisted that she has to know it because they have gone over it numerous times, but Hoda was still flustered.
‘Wait, wait, I do know it,’ she said before pausing and asking her co-host to ‘wink’ if she’s on the right track.
‘Hal!’ Jenna finally yelled.