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Longtime ‘Today’ Host Offers a Blunt Appraisal of Ann Curry’s Performance

Jul 19, 2012  •  Post A Comment

A longtime host of NBC’s "Today" show tells the Los Angeles Times’ Show Tracker that he feels ousted co-host Ann Curry has received overly favorable treatment.

“I’m surprised and disappointed at this idea that Ann was a martyr, that she was thrown under the bus,” Bryant Gumbel said. "I don’t know why she’s being portrayed as a modern-day Joan of Arc. In every job, in every walk of life, people are hired to do a job, and if they don’t do it well they are relieved of that job.”

Gumbel, who hosted “Today” for 15 years, added, "It’s a big-boy business, and when things don’t work out, people are asked to leave. It’s happened to me; it’s happened to almost everyone in this business."

Gumbel, who said he’s "best friends" with "Today" co-host Matt Lauer, said his comments were prompted by his concern for "Today" staffers, as he felt they have been taking on blame that belonged to Curry, according to the story.

Gumbel said he doesn’t watch "Today," describing himself as "not a TV watcher and I’m not a morning-show watcher." He added that while he has met new "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, he doesn’t know her well. "Matt tells me she’s a good person, and I believe him,” Gumbel added.

4 Comments

  1. So what you are really saying is, “I am a friend of Matt Lauer who viewers are now blaming for Ann Curry’s demise and ‘even though I do not watch morning television,’ I just thought that I would offer my own two cents because I too am a masogynist, homophobe, pouter and irrelevant….”

  2. Bryant doesn’t watch morning TV. Bryant is best friends with Matt. Bryant’s views on Matt are laughable.

  3. Bryant is right. Whether he’s a friend of Lauer’s or not is irrelevant. When someone is hired for any job, there are performance expectations. For TV, ratings is a major one. If Curry wasn’t able to deliver, she gets fired – or in this case, relocated. Then someone else is put into the job who can give the network what it needs: resonance on screen and ratings. If Guthrie doesn’t deliver, she’ll be ousted too. It’s business.

  4. Kat may be right, but that doesn’t change the fact that Bryant Gumball has always been an ass. Did he need to say what he did? Nope. My two cents is that the only TV Bryant watches are re-runs of his own shows. When does the almighty MATT LAUER get held accountable for the demise of the Today Show???

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