Hoda Kotb Brings Jenna Bush Hager to Tears 1 Minute into “Today” Show Reunion: 'I Haven't Cried in 6 Months'

Hoda Kotb had an affectional on-camera reunion pinch her erstwhile co-host Jenna Bush Hager connected Wednesday, May 28. 

The longtime friends and erstwhile co-anchors of Today pinch Hoda & Jenna shared nan saccharine infinitesimal 4 months aft Kotb, 60, stepped down from her domiciled connected nan greeting show successful a move that shocked her NBC family astatine nan time. 

Returning to nan recently named Today pinch Jenna & Friends, Kotb shared immoderate updates from her clip distant from Today and reminisced astir aged times pinch Bush Hager, 43. 

"Is this weird, you’re successful a different seat," Bush Hager asked Kotb. "I moved over. I can’t retrieve why, but I did."

And earlier nan pair's chat moreover genuinely began, Bush Hager was successful tears, admitting, "I knew this was going to happen. I told [my producer] I was going to outcry earlier I moreover opened my mouth."

As nan brace discussed Kotb's life since her January departure from nan show, Kotb raved astir Bush Hager, saying, "Can I conscionable opportunity earlier we commencement that Jenna Bush Hager, you person been virtually crushing it since Jan. 12 aliases whenever my past time is. I’ve been watching you each azygous day. You’ve been incredible. You’ve been crushing it, crushing it, you really person been."

Bush Hager added that contempt their months apart, it felt earthy having Kotb backmost successful nan co-host seat.

"You travel backmost and it’s for illustration we haven’t moreover spent nan time apart," she told her friend. "And I miss you, and I’m truthful happy for you."

The tears kept flowing for Bush Hager arsenic she continued to person compliments from her erstwhile co-anchor.

"Being adjacent to you correct present feels for illustration breathing to me," Kotb told her. "It ever has and it ever will, nary matter really agelong I live, this spot and this abstraction betwixt america is sacred. I emotion you."

Wiping distant tears, Bush Hager quipped, "You cognize I haven’t cried successful six months. I thought my bosom was crusted over. I’m truthful gladsome to cognize I still person feelings." 

Never miss a communicative — motion up for PEOPLE's free regular newsletter to enactment up-to-date connected nan champion of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from personage news to compelling quality liking stories.

Kotb visited Today to talk her caller wellness venture, nan Joy 101 app, which she announced successful this week’s rumor of PEOPLE. 

"It was really Jenna Bush Hager. She said, ‘Why don’t you effort something? Why don’t you effort a breathworks class?’" Kotb recalled while speaking pinch Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin earlier connected Today. "And I was like, ‘Girl, I person been breathing a batch longer than you person been alive.’ So I didn’t moreover get it. She was like, ‘Just effort it, conscionable effort it.’ And successful nan mediate of this breathing class, I exploded into tears. I virtually freaked out, but I besides felt clarity and calm and energy. I felt clear."

She gave Bush Hager nan in installments during Today pinch Jenna & Friends, saying, "It is 100% because of you."

And while she was sad to time off her Today family, Kotb opened up astir being excited to give much of her clip to her daughters Haley, 8, and Hope, 6.

“I thought to myself, I wasn't capable to carnivore witnesser to my kids' regular lives," Kotb told PEOPLE.

Kotb announced successful September that she planned to depart her role astatine Today aft astir 2 decades.

"As I constitute this, my bosom is each complete nan map," nan journalist wrote successful a letter to unit of nan NBC greeting show connected Sept. 26. "I cognize I’m making nan correct decision, but it’s a achy one. And you each are nan logic why. They opportunity 2 things tin beryllium correct astatine nan aforesaid time, and I’m emotion that truthful profoundly correct now. I emotion you and it’s clip for maine to time off nan show."

She officially exited nan show connected Jan. 10 aft a week-long “Hodabration,” honoring her effect connected Today. 

"My dearest, you are school america nan astir important instruction of each — really to opportunity goodbye pinch grace," Bush Hager told Kotb astatine nan time.

Talking astir nan difficult determination to leave, Kotb told Bush Hager connected Wednesday, "A batch of things benignant of came to light. And I deliberation it comes erstwhile you scope a constituent successful your life wherever you’re like, ‘Where americium I going to hole my gaze? Where is my power and my emotion going to travel to successful this moment?’"

One of those things was her 6-year-old girl Hope's Type 1 glucosuria diagnosis.

"I conscionable felt for illustration I was excessively retired of scope to thief if she needed me," Kotb explained of her clip connected Today. "And that was 1 of many, galore reasons that I decided it was clip to do thing different. And I think, there’s thing astir knowing that you tin mother your kid from correct there. I don’t interest now because I spot her."

Kotb opened up for nan first clip astir Hope's test pinch PEOPLE, saying, "It’s benignant of changeless attraction for Hope. We’re monitoring her 24/7."

“She was getting shots — 4 aliases 5 a time — each time for a year. Now she is getting them little often because we person immoderate different intends to get her what she needs, but there’s a batch to it," Kotb adds. "Some kids tin person sweets, and she can’t. If she’s up successful nan night, we person to return attraction of her astatine night.”

Of Hope, Kotb says, “She is simply a happy, healthy, rambunctious, astonishing kid, and we person to watch her. Diabetes is simply a portion of her but not each of her. I dream it shapes her but ne'er defines her.”