Morning Glory

Matt Lauer opens up about celebrating his 20th anniversary on Today, his cohosts and what he really thinks about Megyn Kelly. PLUS: A look back at the show’s most memorable moments.

- Ileane Rudolph

DURING A BREAK between the 9am Today show sign-off and the 10am West Coast news update, Matt Lauer settles into his office in New York’s Rockefeller Center, where photos of Muhammad Ali and Bruce Springsteen share space with family portraits. It’s a few days after the lavish on-air toasts to the morning show’s 65th anniversary and Lauer’s 20th as a coanchor. That’s not all there is to celebrate: Today just scored its 57th week as the No. 1 morning show among viewers 25–54 and its largest lead over Good Morning America in more than five years in that coveted demo.

As for 59-year-old Lauer, he still beams as he talks about landing his “dream job.” He speaks of his team over the years as “a family,” recalling the time he and Al Roker “trekked through a blizzard” to visit coanchor Katie Couric when she gave birth to her second daughter, and doing the same—minus the snow—for current cohost Savannah Guthrie. “The most surprising thing viewers don’t know is how loyal a friend he is,” says Roker.

Guthrie agrees. “His quiet kindness and humanity are palpable,” she says, going on to explain his staying power: “It’s Matt’s extraordinary combination of natural talent and dogged work ethic. He has one of the quickest, sharpest minds I have ever encountered. Plus, he is genuinely hilarious.”

Here, Lauer gets candid about his longtime success and what’s next.