The 2024 Oscars was a memorable night for Hollywood’s biggest stars — and Hoda Kotb, too!
“I’ve never seen an Oscars from beginning to end, except for this one because I was on a plane,” Kotb, 59, revealed on the Monday, March 11, episode of Today With Hoda and Jenna. Kotb watched the ceremony up in the air after squeezing into a last-minute flight to New York City from West Palm Beach, Florida.
“First of all, the Jamie Lee Curtis, the whole Supporting Actress category, the woman to my right … [she was] crying,” Kotb shared. “I saw her crying because [of] the speech, the way it was given, all of the things.”
The Sunday, March 10 ceremony saw past winners of the major acting categories, Best Actor and Actress and Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress, give a brief speech about each nominee before presenting the award.
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“How lovely was it to have actual human beings who know the other person toast them?” Bush Hager, 42, remarked, to which Kotb added, “It was beautiful.”
However, Kotb said the Oscars moments that had herself and her fellow passengers “howling with laughter” was John Cena’s near-naked moment. The WWE star awkwardly presented the award for Best Costume Design after bailing out on host Jimmy Kimmel’s gag for him to streak across the stage. (The award was given to Holly Waddington for her work on Poor Things.)
“The best part is he’s wearing, like, Birkenstocks,” Bush Hager said of the viral moment. “He’s completely naked, but he has some Birks on. It’s everybody’s, like, crazy uncle.”
One thing Kotb and Bush Hager agreed on was that Ryan Gosling “won the Oscars” with his performance of “I’m Just Ken” from the Barbie movie. “It was brilliant,” Kotb stated. “And also, I just like how he was delighting in it, his cast was. They didn’t win a lot last night, but they had the most fun. Like, no question.”
“I’m Just Ken” was nominated for Best Original Song along with “What Was I Made for?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. The sister/brother duo scored their second Best Original Song win for the track, marking the only Oscars win for Barbie.
Hager Bush wrapped up the Oscars discussion by calling this year’s awards show, hosted by Kimmel, “The best Oscars in one decade,” to which Kotb agreed.
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During Sunday’s ceremony, Kotb shared live updates of her airplane Oscars viewing experience with fans via Instagram. “Wow! These Oscars feel so personal 
,” she wrote alongside screenshots of Curtis, 65, presenting the award for Best Supporting Actress to The Holdovers’ Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
She also shared a snap of Cena’s hilarious almost nude speech, which she captioned, “THIS! Hahaha @johncena the plane was giggling! ‘Costumes are really important.’”
Kotb also praised the Jet Blue airline workers who helped her make it back to NYC after enduring airport chaos. “Lots of delayed flights @flyipbi including mine. Andrea at the @jetblue gate was calm, cool and kind,” she wrote on Sunday. “I don’t know your last name but you made a stressful situation so much better. Thx again .”
