Thursday’s (Feb. 1) broadcast of Today With Hoda & Jenna was derailed when Hoda Kotb interrupted a segment to announce that she had a contact lens stuck in her eye, setting off a saga that would continue through the commercial break and into the next segment.
“I don’t think I took it out last night and I can’t find it,” Kotb said.
Jenna Bush Hager appeared concerned for her co-host. “Is this a medical emergency?” she joked.
“Well, it feels like it’s in there. I’m not kidding, I was going to go to the eye doctor but I didn’t have time,” Kotb replied. She then turned to the camera and said, “Maybe people have tricks to how to get it out! I’m sure people have had contacts that have rolled up. If you guys know, can you post on X?”
As they rolled to commercial, Bush Hager asked, “Can we help our girl get her contact out?” The co-hosts could be heard concernedly talking about Kotb’s eye problem.
And when they returned from the commercial break, it appeared the issue was ongoing. While kicking off a segment called “Girl Code,” Kotb used a comically large hand mirror to try and locate the contact.
“We have breaking news,” Bush Hager announced when they were back on the air. “Hoda’s now lost all eye sight because her other contact fell out.”
After Kotb clarified that there are two contacts stuck “in there,” Bush Hager clarified, “Okay, they are both lost in the eye cavity.”
Kotb then instructed Bush Hager to begin the segment and read off the teleprompter since she could not see it. While still on camera, Kotb began trying to remove the eye contact using the hand mirror.
“Someone said pull your lid and look down,” she said to herself as she looked in the hand mirror. It might have been gross to watch, but she successfully managed to take out her eye contact!
“Oh wait! That’s one or two [contacts]? That’s one,” she said as she inspected it. “That was so crazy! That was the best advice.”
Bush Hager told her to “try it again” to get the other contact out. She then picked up the contact and commented, “Gross, there’s a lot of makeup on that one,” causing Kotb to laugh.
The Today co-hosts decided to continue with “Girl Code” and answer viewers’ questions about how to navigate social dilemmas. But Kotb, who was still having trouble reading the teleprompter, told Bush Hager, “I can only see you. Everything is super fuzzy, it looks like a bunch of mushed up colors.” They then struggled to get through the rest of the segment, with Bush Hager even admitting she has no advice to offer “on anything.”
“Okay, we’re moving on,” Bush Hager announced after a hilarious and clumsy “Girl Code” segment. “Let’s hope a doctor arrives and Hoda will be able to see.”
Luckily for Hoda, their guest Ariana DeBose swiftly arrived with a new set of contacts for her to put in. “For you, mama!” she announced as she joined them on stage.
Leave it do DeBose — she really did the thing.
Today with Jenna and Hoda airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.
