Willie Geist couldn't help but gloat a little bit on TODAY Wednesday about getting a special invite to Ina Garten's house ahead of Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.
Jenna had a good-natured bone to pick with Willie after learning he and his wife, Christina, nabbed a spot ahead of her and Hoda at the celebrity chef's table as part of her upcoming show, "Be My Guest," on Food Network and Discovery+.
"Yesterday we found out that you were invited, before Hoda and I were, to Ina Garten’s house," Jenna said.
"Sure, been there a couple times," Willie said with a smirk.
Willie, who was filling in for Hoda on Wednesday, noted that Garten has been a guest twice for his Sunday Sitdown series on Sunday TODAY.
"Which is rare for us," he said. "It’s an elite group of 'We came back for another Sunday Sitdown because we love you that much.'"
Jenna countered by reminding him Garten has also been a guest multiple times on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. Willie couldn't resist needling Jenna about the great time he had on Garten's show.
"What a great day that was at her house," he said. "She invited me, not you or Hoda, and it was just a perfect day. Almost a perfect day."
It was a lovely double date between Willie and Christina and Garten and her husband, Jeffrey.
"It’s interesting because Hoda and I were going to have a double date with she and Jeffrey, too," Jenna said.
Jenna didn't take it too personally.
"For people on Twitter, I love Willie," she said. "I wasn’t actually mad at him. We’re good friends. I’m OK that he was invited first. I knew something must’ve gone wrong."
"It wasn’t adding up," Willie said.
Jenna and Hoda received an email from Garten this past weekend clearing up the situation.
"She was going to invite us first, but she was afraid that she was asking too much of us," Jenna said. "It just said, 'Of course I would’ve asked you guys first.'"
"I think she’s just such a good and decent person, she was just trying to make you guys feel better, if we’re being honest," Willie said.
Garten turned the tables on Willie and made him the interview subject as they enjoyed some afternoon tea on the show.
"It was almost like a confessional," he said.
The gloating by Willie then continued.
"She’s the best, Jeffrey’s the best," he said. "I so cherish our friendship, Ina, yours and mine, with nobody else involved."
Jenna planned on calling Hoda and getting to the bottom of it all.
"All right, you can be second, there’s nothing wrong with that," Willie said.
"We already are second, but maybe we just have to have her here for our own dinner party and not invite you and Christina," Jenna countered.
"Oh my gosh, you’re so vindictive," Willie said before smiling.