“For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I’m sorry I couldn’t carry the ball over the finish line, but, man, I did try.â€Â With those bittersweet words, Ann Curry bid an emotional farewell to her job as co-host of the “Today†show Thursday morning, after just over a year in the role.
Dressed in a bold red dress but otherwise appearing downcast, Curry announced that she’d be moving into a new position as “Today†anchor at large and a national and international correspondent for NBC News. She’ll anchor prime-time specials and produce reports for “Today†as well as the “NBC Nightly News,†“Rock Center,†“Dateline†and MSNBC.
-
Ousted from 'Today,' Ann Curry says she's 'hurt deeply' by leaks
-
Photos:Â TV's axings and exits -
-
-
TV news personalities with substance and style -
NBCUniversal expects to lose money on London Olympics
“They’re giving me some fancy new titles which essentially mean that I’m going to get tickets to every big story with a terrific team of my choosing,†she explained with a pinch of self-deprecation. “We're going to go all over the world and all over this country at a time where this world needs clarity.â€
Although Curry gamely tried to make light of the situation, joking that “after all these years I don't even know if I can sleep in anymore,†she was clearly emotional, particularly when expressing her appreciation for the “Today†show’s loyal viewers. “You are the real ‘Today’ show family,†she said, breaking into tears. “I have loved you and I have wanted to give you the world and I still do.â€
For their part, colleagues Al Roker, M att Lauer and Natalie Morales praised Curry’s reporting accomplishments, including her role in freeing American hikers taken prisoner in Iran. “You have the biggest heart in the business," said Lauer, while Roker proclaimed her the “queen of tweets.â€
There was no announcement about who would be taking over for Curry, though within minutes of her departure, rumored replacement Savannah Guthrie was nestled comfortably on the "Today" show couch.Â
The abrupt departure comes after weeks of frenzied speculation about Curry’s fate. Once the most unstoppable show in morning television, the “Today†show juggernaut has slowed since Curry took over as co-host last spring. In early April “Today†was beaten in the ratings by perennial second-place finisher"Good Morning America" for the first time in 16 years, ending an unprecedented 852-week winning streak. It has been bested three more times since then. Though “Today†still leads by about 400,000 viewers for the season so far, the show’s sudden vulnerability is a cause for major concern at ratings-starved NBC. Fair or not, Curry’s perceived lack of chemistry with Lauer was widely believed to be a contributing factor in the show’s decline.
But in a defiant interview published early this morning in USA Today, Curry rejected the idea that her rapport with Lauer was somehow part of the problem. “Matt and I have had great on-air chemistry for 14 years, been part of the No. 1 winning team for a history-making number of years," she told the paper. Curry also admitted she was “hurt deeply†by the public spectacle of her departure, and also claimed she was not given adequate time to prove herself in the new job.
“I have called the co-host job at the 'Today' show my dream job,†she said. “And I would be lying if I said it was easy to leave that job."
RELATED:
Why is "Today" ready to boot Ann Curry?
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar