Curry gets emotional, says she’s sorry she wouldn’t be there for the finish line

Jun 29, 2012 11:48 GMT  ·  By
Ann Curry tears up announcing she would no longer be co-host on The Today Show
   Ann Curry tears up announcing she would no longer be co-host on The Today Show

For several days now, there has been a lot of speculation on whether Ann Curry was done as co-host of NBC's The Today Show, a job she took up one year ago when Meredith Vieira handed in her resignation. Below is Curry's goodbye from Today.

She confirmed the news in an interview with USA Today, saying whoever leaked information to the press about the reasons of her departure had hurt her terribly.

That is plain to see in the video below as well.

Curry will remain with NBC for a salary estimated at $20 million (€15.9 million) and she's believed to have negotiated a payout of $10 million (€7.95 million) to be let out of her contract, which wouldn't have expired for another year.

Nevertheless, the pain of saying goodbye proved too much for her, and she was hardly able to fight back tears while telling the people at home this was her last day as co-host of the morning show.

“This is not as I expected to ever leave this couch after 15 years, but I am so grateful, especially to all of you who watch because Matt and I – and everyone who sits on this couch – we often call ourselves a family, but YOU are the real Today show family,” she said.

“I will be missing you and I love all of you and for those of you who saw me as a ground breaker, I'm sorry I couldn't take the ball to the finish line – but man, I did try,” Curry added.

In the days before her confirmation that she was out, reports said Lauer had been instrumental in getting her fired because he believed they had no chemistry and partly blamed her for the dip in ratings Today took over the past year, losing out to direct rival Good Morning America.

“I have loved you and I have wanted to give you the world, and I still do. I don't even know if I can sleep in anymore after all these years! But I know that whatever time I wake up, I'll be missing you,” Curry said.

“And I'll be believing in you. I love all of you, especially all of you who are behind the scenes, behind the cameras,” she added.

Anne Curry is now Today show anchor-at-large and NBC News national / international correspondent, and will travel the world with a team of her choosing, reporting on various events.

She will also act as producer on NBC Nightly News, Dateline and Today.