They’re two of the most famous friends in television history. For nearly half a century, best buds Bert and Ernie have lived together on “Sesame Street,” teaching children about numbers and letters, singing songs and going on adventures. But what originally brought the two together? On this weekend’s episode of “Oprah: Where Are They Now?”, Bert and Ernie open up about their long-standing friendship.
“How did we meet? I think it was over tea,” Bert tells a producer in the above video.
“No, buddy Bert. It was ‘Y,'” Ernie corrects.
“No, no, it was tea,” Bert says.
“No, it was ‘Y.’ We met over the letter ‘Y,’ Bert,” Ernie insists. “Remember? That’s why there was the yak there, and the yarn. And the yo-yo!”
Suddenly, Bert remembers. “You’re right!” he says, before addressing the producer. “He’s usually not right, but he’s right this time.”
That’s not the only thing the best friends have some initial confusion about. When the producer asks the duo how old they are, he gets two different answers.
“25,” Ernie says.
“52,” Bert says, at the exact same time.
Surprised by each other’s response, Bert and Ernie turn toward each other to try and figure out their ages. “Maybe it was 25,” Bert concedes. “Wait, how long has ‘Sesame Street’ been around?”
“Forty-five years,” the producer tells them.
“Wow,” they both respond.
“You’d think that spending all those years on ‘Sesame Street,’ we’d be better with numbers,” Bert quips.
While they may not totally agree about their age, Bert and Ernie see eye-to-eye on the foundation of their 45-year friendship.
“I’d say the key to a lasting friendship is always respecting each other, listening to each other, and caring what the other person thinks and feels,” Ernie says.
