Blake Shelton shocks Hoda Kotb by admitting he once thought they had a “moment” — but shuts down Jenna Bush Hager’s claim he “tried to kiss her”

Jenna Bush Chin always will be Hoda Kotb‘s matchmaker, whether they are still on the air together or not.

The Today co-hosts had an interesting experience on today’s broadcast when Bush Hager surprised Kotb with a video call from Blake Sheltonwho has appeared in the broadcast several times over the years as a guest and co-host with Kotb. But the country singer and former Vote host who Kotb once described as “absolutely dateable” on the show, shocked everyone in the studio when he shared a rather touching memory he had of Kotb.

The conversation got off to a funny start when Bush Hager announced, “Hoda had a crush on you for years. I think she’s let it go, but she still adores you and I know you adore her.”

Kotb certainly did not deny it. Shelton largely ignored Bush Hager’s confession as he thanked Kotb for welcoming him Today all those years ago, until he later added, “Also, it’s funny that you talked about Hoda saying I was her first love or whatever. I ran into her in Nashville once off camera, that had nothing to do with television or anything. And I thought that would be our moment.

“But she completely ran away from me. I mean she ran away from me like she was completely scared of me,” he continued.

Both Kotb and Bush Hager gasped in shock. “Wait, wait. What?!” Kotb replied.

Shelton replied, “Yeah, remember party number one, I was like, ‘Hoda, you’re here!’ And you were like, ‘I have to go!'” Kotb then insinuated that she might have been drinking. But she and Bush Hager maintained that she’s “not leaving parties early anymore” when she retires.

Bush Hager then got right to the point by asking him, “Would you have fired your shot? Would you have leaned in and given her some—I mean, it was before Gwen (Stefani)let’s just put it out there.”

Shelton and Stefani have been married since 2021. Ever the loyal husband, Shelton responded by warning Bush Hager to “lower your roll a little bit.”

“I’m just saying I saw Hoda in Nashville and she ran away from me at a party,” he said when Today hosts laughed. “That’s all I’m saying.”

But love was definitely in the air! They then shared a clip of Shelton serenading Kotb with his guitar when he was a guest on Today with Kathie and Hoda in August 2010, and Kotb certainly looked like he was enjoying himself.

“I remember Blake when we were on set together and Blake you started singing,” Kotb recalled. “I think it was the first time I felt like someone was singing to me.”

Their chemistry was so palpable that Bush Hager could be heard saying, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” as broadcast during the broadcast. “Wait, Blake, you tried to kiss her at that party,” she then told him. “I felt it. I felt it.”

Shelton played off Bush Hager’s statement by joking that you can’t “act like that on TV anymore.”

She later invited him to join her Today with Jenna and friends after Kotb’s retirement. “You can sing like that to me whenever you want,” she joked.

Today with Hoda & Jenna sent on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.