By the time Hoda Kotb goes on-air with Kathie Lee Gifford, she has been awake for six hours, co-anchored Today's early broadcast, and changed her outfit twice, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

The co-stars, who recently celebrated their 10th anniversary on television together, remain deeply committed to their friendship. "I told her on the day we met, you and I are going to be lifetime friends," remembers Hoda, 53.

That devotion goes far beyond a work relationship. Off camera, Hoda supported Kathie Lee when she lost her beloved husband, Frank Gifford, in 2015, while Kathie Lee shared Hoda's joy over the adoption of daughter Haley Joy Kotb last year. Though neither wants to leave their show right now, they know their friendship will outlast their morning talker. "Kathie Lee does want to move on when the time is right," confides a pal. "But now she wants to be there for Hoda."

It's true that Hoda has experienced many of life's biggest milestones, from her exciting promotion on Today to her first year as a mother, in a very brief period. "It's all taught me to stop wasting time," she says proudly.

Those triumphs have inspired Kathie Lee, 64, to reach for new horizons, too. "She wants to realize her dream of a hit Broadway show," says a friend, who adds that Kathie Lee has also been writing a film script. "As she likes to say, 'Change is good.'"

One thing that won't change is their special bond. "We seem like the odd couple," admits Kathie Lee. "But we have everything in common that is important."

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