Matt Lauer's Appearance In Today Show Anniversary Tribute Is Sure To Raise Eyebrows

NBC's "TODAY" is the bread of butter of morning news shows. Coinciding with the most important news stories of the day, the show often features fun pop culture segments, like outdoor concerts and cooking segments. Having premiered way back in 1952, there's no doubt "TODAY" is a mainstay of American news television, as it has also helped to launch the careers of famous journalists like Barbara Walters, Tom Brokaw, and Katie Couric.

As of January 14, the iconic show has been on the air for 70 years and, in celebration, released a tribute segment on the morning of its anniversary. It proved to be a big day for the show's current co-hosts, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, as well as co-anchors Al Roker, Craig Melvin, and Carson Daly as they sat down to reflect on the talk show's lasting legacy. The segment highlighted past and present anchors and they covered key moments in history, featured celebrities and politicians, and fun interactions with fans. Kotb credits the show's success to the incredible team behind it. "I think the secret sauce on why this show has lasted 70 years is its good company," Kotb said, per TODAY.

Interestingly enough, the anniversary tribute also featured clips that included former "TODAY" anchor Matt Lauer. Given his controversial firing in 2017, his appearance in the segment might've left viewers a bit surprised.

Back in 2017, the then-anchor of "TODAY," Matt Lauer, came under fire when a number of sexual assault allegations against him were exposed. A former NBC employee, Brooke Nevils, claimed Lauer raped her in 2014 while working the Sochi Winter Olympics for NBC. He was also accused of sexting multiple NBC employees, among other shocking accusations, per Page Six. Lauer was subsequently fired from "TODAY" after more than 20 years on the show.

Despite his history, Lauer was still included in the "TODAY" 70th anniversary tribute, making an appearance on about four occasions throughout the segment in past clips. He was briefly shown during the show's 9/11 coverage, in his interview with Hillary Clinton, during a standup in front of the Sphinx of Giza, and in a scuba diving clip.

Before the tribute's airing, "TODAY" executive producer, Tom Mazzarelli, spoke with AdWeek on what to expect. When asked how they determined if Lauer should be included in the special, Mazzarelli said, "We're going to look back at our history, and he's a part of our history, as are all the anchors throughout the last 70 years. You'll see him." Although Lauer's appearance is brief, it's enough to surely make an impact on viewers.