The end for Ann Curry came abruptly on the Today show on Thursday. After a year of tumbling ratings and a week of speculation about her fate, Curry confirmed that she was leaving.
"I have called the co-host job at the Today show my dream job," Curry said in a tearful farewell, "and I would be lying if I said it was easy to leave that job."
After Curry moved from news reader to co-host last June, ABC's Good Morning America steadily gained ground against the show. The ratings stumbles fed media analysis that the combination of Curry and co-host Matt Lauer was not working out.
Today has reigned supreme in the mornings for 16 years, but lost in a number of weeks to ABC's Good Morning America in April.
During NBC's coverage this month of the Queen's 60th anniversary Jubilee celebration, Lauer and other Today stars reported from London while Curry was largely sidelined back home.
Curry will move to another role with the network. "To those of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I am sorry that could not carry the ball across the finish line," Curry continued, "but, man, I did try."
Curry bows out on Today
