Could Anderson Cooper be one of the first people you see on television in the morning? It's certainly looking like it! Reports have surfaced that NBC is looking at Cooper as a possible replacement for Matt Lauer on the Today Show in the future.
Although Deadline.com originally reported Lauer expressed his disproval of Cooper as his possible predecessor, sources say that simply is not true and the current host had actually planned to sit down and talk with Cooper about the position. That meeting is said to have been cancelled by Lauer due to the negative press he has experienced in response to a recent NY Magazine interview. The Today Show's struggle to recover from Katie Couric's departure in 2006 and the unceremonious ouster of Ann Curry has been well documented, with Lauer being named as the reason for Curry's swift exit.
For his part, Cooper, who currently hosts his own CNN news show, has proven not only his journalistic skills, but his ability to cover 'fluff' stories as well. As host of his own talk show, Anderson Live, and acting as a fill-in anchor on Live! With Regis & Kelly, Cooper has honed his skills for covering a broad range of topics. Cooper's talk show, which ran for two seasons and wraps up this summer, was an outlet for the journalist to have more personality while on-air and cover light-hearted topics-proving his ability to be quick witted and fast on his feet.
NBC executives remain mum on the possible switcheroo and reiterate their loyalty to Lauer with Alexandra Wallace, Today Show executive saying, "As we've said before, Matt Lauer is the best in the business. We want him in the 'Today' show anchor chair for many years to come. We are not considering replacing Matt Lauer."
What's your take? Could Anderson Cooper command the couch on The Today Show?
