Ann Curry confirmed two things on the "Today” show Thursday that most of the world had already figured out: She's leaving and she doesn't like it.
Choking back tears and fighting to maintain her composure, Curry said, "This is not the way I expected to leave" the show where she has worked for 15 years.
"For those of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over the finish line," said Curry, who wore a defiantly bright red dress for her final show as cohost.
She didn't specify why she's leaving, or detail the events that led up to it, but her silence seemed to confirm what NBC's silence had already suggested: The network doesn't think she's the best cohost to boost "Today" back to the top in the morning.
She said she was "grateful" for her years on the show, particularly singling out viewers as "the real family.”
She referenced NBC in an almost bemused tone, saying, “They threw fancy titles at me” to get her to accept a reassignment.
She will officially become NBC News National and International Correspondent/Anchor and “Today” Anchor at Large. The new assignment, effective immediately, also includes a long-term deal with NBC News.
But her tone made it very clear that was not her first choice – as she had already said in an interview with USA Today that was published a few hours before her on-air farewell.
She told the paper she was "hurt" by NBC's decision to replace her, and said several times she did not consider herself responsible for the drop in "Today" ratings since she replaced Meredith Vieira as Matt Lauer's cohost a year ago.
Over that year, "Today" has fallen into a virtual tie with ABC's "Good Morning America," after holding the morning lead for more than 15 years.
Network officials have said they see NBC's extensive Olympics coverage next month, which will include doing "Today" from London, as a way to revitalize the brand.
That is reportedly one reason the network moved when it did on Curry, so the new team could be in place for the Olympics.
No announcement was made Thursday about who will replace Curry, but it is widely expected to be Savannah Guthrie, NBC's chief legal analyst and cohost of the 9 a.m. hour on "Today."
Guthrie did an early segment on Thursday's show, talking with Lauer about the potential implications of the anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling on health care.
Ironically, Curry indicated Thursday that one of the first missions for her new team will be the Olympics, and that she could be contributing reports to "Today," among other shows.
Curry made her announcement at the end of the 7-9 a.m. show, sitting on the couch with Al Roker, Lauer and Natalie Morales.
The tone of her departure was in marked contrast to most past "Today" transitions, including the one where Curry took over from Vieira last year.
Curry spoke first, clearly fighting to get out the thoughts she had been preparing, and when she finished Lauer and the others all told her how much they would miss her.
Lauer said she had "the biggest heart" of anyone he had met in the business, prompting Curry to joke that she was "sorry I'm a sob sister today."
The tone of the farewells was colored, though, by Curry's obvious reluctance to leave. She clasped hands with Morales and at the end Lauer kissed her on the side of the head.
After she finished and the show broke for local news, the team skipped its usual wrap-up walk out on the Rockefeller Center plaza.
The cameras went right back to the studio, where Guthrie was in the seat Curry had occupied. They went straight into promotion for the 9 a.m. hour.
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