This week’s lineup of Today guests is full of show alums.
One day after Hoda Kotbreturned to the NBC morning show to promote her new book, Jump and Find Joy, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin revealed that another former host will launch a new project on the show. “Quick note about tomorrow. A familiar face will be back here in her old stomping grounds. Katie [Couric]!” Guthrie announced. “It’s been 25 years since she made history on the Today show when she got that colonoscopy live on the air.”
Melvin added, “It moved the needle in terms of screenings around this country. To this day, she remains a leading advocate for colon cancer awareness and research. She’s gonna join us to reveal her next big project aimed at saving lives.”
Noting that he doesn’t want to “give away too much” about Couric’s project, Melvin said he gave preview of a PSA Couric created his stamp of approval.
Couric famously cohosted Today from 1991 to 2006, after which she went on to anchor CBS Evening News until 2011. She also led her self-titled talk show, Katie, from 2012 to 2014. In 2017, she founded her own media company, Katie Couric Media.
Like Melvin, Couric is a big advocate for colorectal cancer research and awareness. Couric’s late husband, John Monahan, died of colorectal cancer in 1998, while Melvin lost his brother Lawrence Meadows to the disease in 2020. (Couric remarried to John Molner in 2014.)
Back in 2000, Couric took Today viewers through her process of getting a colonoscopy — from the prep to the procedure itself — to raise awareness for colon cancer screenings. On the show, she also demonstrated how a colonoscope works to check for signs of cancer.
“It really didn’t hurt. I felt a teeny bit of cramping. And I’m a big baby, so for me to say that, that’s a lot,” Couric shared on the show. “By the way, this is why you need to get tested, because catching those growths before they turn into full-blown cancer is what it’s all about. So, make an appointment, and make sure you go to someone who’s experienced.”
Earlier this year, Couric took to Instagram to celebrate what would have been her and Monahan’s 36th wedding anniversary. “We were married for 10 years before Jay died. This is a sad day for me but also a day of gratitude,” she wrote alongside photos of herself and Monahan with their kids from over the years on June 10. (The couple shared two daughters — Ellie, 34, and Caroline, 29.)
“Although our time together ended far too soon, our love endures, especially in our remarkable daughters,” she continued. “We miss you Jay—every day, but especially on the important milestones where your absence feels so acute. Happy anniversary to you, wherever you may be. And a special thank you to @johnmolner who understands there is room in my heart for both of them. .”
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