Willie Geist has been officially dubbed “morning TV’s boyfriend,” a title he reluctantly accepted after an interaction with comedian Heather McMahan went viral. 

The beloved Sunday TODAY host found himself in the spotlight when he guest co-hosted TODAY with Jenna & Friends on March 4,

where Jenna Bush Hager playfully bestowed the nickname upon him.

During the broadcast, Jenna compared Willie to actor Pedro Pascal, who has famously been labeled the “internet’s boyfriend.”

She explained, “Pedro Pascal is known as the internet’s boyfriend. He’s cool, he’s handsome.

Everybody, you know, loves him. Well, our team has now pegged you as ‘morning TV’s boyfriend.’”

Rather than basking in the new title, Willie responded with visible discomfort, sighing and looking down before admitting, “It makes me very uncomfortable.”

While Willie seemed unsure about what the label meant, he acknowledged his significant presence on morning television. “I don’t even quite know what it means to be ‘morning TV’s boyfriend,’” he said. “I am on morning TV a lot, very early in the morning, later in the morning in (today’s) case, Sundays. I’m on from like six to noon most days, so I guess I do occupy the morning.”

Although hesitant, he did acknowledge the unexpected honor, saying, “I guess it’s an honor to be in the company of Pedro Pascal, if that’s what that means. I don’t know what that means.”

The Viral Moment That Started It All

The lighthearted moment stemmed from an interaction between Willie and Heather McMahan the previous week when she guest co-hosted TODAY with Jenna & Friends. In a now widely circulated clip, McMahan complimented Willie, telling him, “You look good in blue.”

Willie, never one to shy away from a joke, playfully responded, “Are we like an item?”

McMahan played along, saying, “Yeah, we kind of are.”

Jenna, always ready to add humor to any situation, chimed in to say that she had heard from Willie’s wife, Christina, and that she was fine with it. Willie then added that Christina “loves” McMahan.

McMahan’s husband, Jeff, was also on board with the playful banter. “Jeff was okay with it too,” she quipped. “He was like, ‘If anybody, it’s Willie.’”

Willie then joked that he was surprised by his wife’s reaction, saying, “Christina was like, on board … I was surprised at the lack of resistance I got from my wife. She was like, ‘Great, she’s awesome. She’s great.’”

Social Media Reacts

Following the viral moment, social media users couldn’t get enough of Willie’s unexpected heartthrob status. While hosting the March 4 episode of TODAY with Jenna & Friends, Willie reflected on his interaction with McMahan, pointing out how uncharacteristically quiet she had been around him.

“Heather, who is really one of the wildest, most outgoing humans that I know, she saw you and she just shriveled up inside,” Jenna said, highlighting the impact Willie had on the comedian.

Jenna also shared some of the comments from fans reacting to the viral video. One particularly enthusiastic comment read, “Honestly, who doesn’t have a crush on Willie?! Also, Heather and Jenna are a match made in heaven!!”

Christina Geist Weighs In

Even Willie’s wife, Christina, joined in on the fun. Jenna read her comment aloud during the show: “HA! Love you, (Heather McMahan)! I’m confident our marriages can survive this! It’s not the first time I’ve witnessed the WG phenomenon!”

Willie, clearly amused by his wife’s response, laughed and said, “Wow! Alright, I’m glad she got the last word on that!”

The host admitted he was completely unaware that the original interaction had been recorded. He recounted coming home to find out his wife had already seen the video before he even knew it was trending.

“I said, ‘How did you see that?’” Willie shared. “‘It’s on Instagram.’ I said, ‘Of course, it is.’”

Willie’s Unexpected New Role

Despite his initial discomfort, it seems that Willie’s new title as “morning TV’s boyfriend” is here to stay. The viral moment has endeared him even more to viewers, cementing his status as a charming, relatable, and effortlessly likable presence on morning television.

While he may not fully understand what it means to be “morning TV’s boyfriend,” one thing is clear—his fans, co-hosts, and even his wife are all loving the newfound appreciation for his undeniable charm.