Hoda Kotb Gives Jenna Bush Hager “The Ick” In Hilarious ‘Today’ Segment About Dating: “Uh-Oh, I Just Got The Ick From Hoda”

Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager learned a “buzzy new relationship term” on Today With Hoda & Jenna and were quick to use it against one another during Wednesday’s (Feb. 28) broadcast.

“We didn’t even know what the ick was until this morning,” Kotb admitted as they began to discuss a recent article from Cosmopolitan titled “What Is ‘The Ick’ and Can You Come Back From It?”

“The ick” can be defined as “a sudden intense feeling or repulsion towards your romantic partner often triggered by a specific action or behavior,” as Kotb explained.

The Today hosts then shared some examples of what could give someone “the ick,” such as seeing a date chewing their food in a strange way, or watching someone ungracefully chase a ping pong ball on the floor.

After Kotb noted they “don’t agree” with the concept, Bush Hager offered some dating and marriage advice to their viewers: “I have to tell you, if you choose to marry somebody, you got to just push those icks right out of your brain,” she said. “It’s gonna be ick, after ick, after ick.”

Kotb added, “Stop focusing on the ick. Focus on the thing you like — the sweet breath because he just gargled. Focus on that.”

But Bush Hager was caught off guard by Kotb’s choice of words. “Gargled?! Uh-oh, I just got the ick from Hoda. The word gargled just gave me the ick,” she said, while appearing uncomfortable.

Kotb began to laugh as she fired back, “I couldn’t ick you out if I tried,” to which Bush Hager replied, “You just did! I’ve never had the ick from you before, but that [word]?!”

It’s always a fun day on Today when the hosts discuss dating. Kotb, who was once crowned the show’s honorary “sex guru,” recently shared a juicy dating story from her early career as a news anchor that certainly gave us the ick.

The Today host revealed she once dated a fellow anchor while working in local broadcast news. “Yes, I’ve had it on the air before in a local market. You know you date someone in the local market, you’re in an argument, you’re dating, and now you have to throw to sports, and he does sports,” she admitted, much to Bush Hager’s shock. “That happens!”

She continued, “It can get uncomfortable because there you are, sitting on the set, [saying] ‘Over to you,’ and the person leaves you hanging sometimes. It happens.”

After Kotb noted that it made their work environment very tense, Bush Hager joked, “Aren’t you glad we never dated?”

Kotb began to laugh as Bush Hager continued, “It would be hard to fake this. Like if I was mad at her and I had to come sit right here, it could be hard. That’s why we just can’t do it.”

Today with Jenna and Hoda airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.