Hoda Kotb has a huge crush on Blake Shelton. And since it’s her final week on the “Today” show, Jenna Bush Hager surprised Hoda with a facetime from Blake. Jenna started things off by saying, “Hoda was in love with you for many years. I think she’s let that go, but she still adores you, and I know you adore her.” And then Blake said, “It’s funny, too, that you talked about Hoda saying I was her first love or whatever. I did run into her in Nashville one time, off camera, it had nothing to do with television . . . And I thought it was going to be our moment. “But she completely ran away from me. ..like totally afraid of me . . . I was like ‘Hoda you’re here!’ And you were like ‘I gotta go.'” Hoda then smiled and said that she’s never leaving parties early once she retires. Jenna asked Blake if he was going to shoot his shot, or lean in for a little kiss. And even though this was long before Gwen Stefani, Blake told Jenna to, “Slow your roll a little bit.”
Billboard’s list of the 100 most influential musical artists of the 21st century yesterday. Here are all the country artists that appeared in the Top 100:
1. Taylor Swift.
4. Post Malone.
13. Morgan Wallen
33. Carrie Underwood
42. Kenny Chesney
48. Rascal Flatts
57. Luke Bryan
58. Toby Keith
60. Tim McGraw
61. Jason Aldean
80. Blake Shelton
86. Florida Georgia Line
92. Keith Urban
99. Alan Jackson
Chris Stapleton just announced his 2025 All-American Road Show tour dates. It kicks back off next month in Australia, and he’ll finish up the main run in Denver this August. Tickets for all of his U.S. shows go on sale next Friday. Supporting acts include Marcus King . . . Nikki Lane . . . The Dirty Knobs . . . Grace Potter . . . Maggie Rose . . . Brittney Spencer . . . Allen Stone . . . Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives . . . and The War & Treaty. 07•25 Madison Square Garden
Rumors are swirling that Dierks Bentley may be a contestant on season 49 of “Survivor”. Season 48 will premiere in February, but they’re already casting for future seasons. Jeff Probst seemed to give a hint about it on his podcast when he said, “We have someone applying for season 49 who is very accomplished and known all around the world.” Okay, I know what you’re thinking. That could be any celebrity, right? But fans went digging and noticed that very soon after that podcast aired, Dierks followed Jeff on Instagram, along with every casting director from the show.
Ella Langley has become a bigger sensation since her song “You Look Like You Love Me” with Riley Green took off . . . but she’s still a redneck at heart. When she was asked to PROVE it recently, she said, “I just bought a pellet gun, because I have a rodent issue, and the neighborhood will not take care of it.” She said she’s gunning for a skunk that recently sprayed her dog, and an opossum that walks on her fence and scares her so much she almost peed her pants.
Anita Bryant, the pop singer and Oklahoma beauty queen who gained fame by convincing America that a “breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine” before seeing her popularity drop as she railed against gay rights, died Dec 16 at her home in Oklahoma. She was 84.
Bryant was crowned Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and finished second runner-up in the 1959 Miss America pageant.
One of the new “Star Wars” movies in the works will take place 25,000 years before any of the others, and will be about the origin of The Force.
The new season of “Sesame Street” will include guest appearances by Renee Rapp, Michael B. Jordan, Chris Stapleton, and Billie Jean King.
New music releases today include Ringo Starr’s new country album, “Look Up”,
Reneé Rapp is 25. She’s Regina George in the “Mean Girls” musical.
Evan Handler is 64.
Pat Benatar is 72.
George Foreman is 76.
Donald Fagen from Steely Dan is 77.
Rod Stewart is 80.
