From the late 80s until 2006, Katie Couric was one of the most recognizable faces on television as the co-host of one of the nation's most watched morning programs. The charismatic Couric hosted NBC's Today show alongside Matt Lauer for 15 years prior to her sudden departure.
"I wanted to tell all of you out there who have watched the show for the past 15 years that after listening to my heart and my gut "” two things that have served me pretty well in the past "” I've decided I'll be leaving Today at the end of May," she said at the time. "I really feel as if we've become friends through the years."
Couric announced that she would be joining CBS Evening News that same year as an anchor and managing editor, but she did not detail what pushed her to make that decision.
More recently, fans of Couric have speculated that she left the show because of Matt Lauer, who has since been fired following a "detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior."
In an interview with People magazine, Couric admitted that she had no idea Lauer behaved that way and that "the whole thing has been very painful for me." She added, "I had no idea this was going on during my tenure or after I left. I think I speak for many of my former colleagues when I say this was not the Matt we knew."
Although Couric left her position at CBS six years ago, she hadn't been back at NBC, until recently. In January 2017, she co-hosted Today, while Savannah Gutrie was on maternity leave, and now, a little over a year later, she's coming back for a different role.
This week, NBC announced that Couric, 61, will be returning to the network for a short period of time during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
In three weeks, Couric will co-host the opening ceremony alongside sportscaster Mike Trico.
"Surprise! I'm really excited and thrilled to be included in this and to work with Mike," Couric said at an NBC Sports Winter Olympics media event. "We go way back, since 45 minutes ago," she jokingly added.
Jim Bell, president of NBC Olympics production and programming, explained that following Lauer's firing, the network reached out to Couric to take on co-hosting duties at the games. Lauer previoudly co-hosted the Rio and Sochi opening ceremonies with Meredith Viera and Savannah Gutrie.
As for Couric, she has previously hosted the opening ceremony during the Sydney, Salt Lake City, and Athens Olympic Games.
"I couldn't be happier to lend a helping hand, and I'm just thrilled to be here," Couric said.
This year, NBC is switching things up by live streaming the opening ceremony ahead of its time delayed airing on TV. The tape-delayed version will be available on February 9 at 8 p.m. EST on NBCOylmpics.com and the NBC Sports app.
The ceremony will also be viewable via virtual-reality, a 360-degree experience, on select devices and platforms.
We're excited to see Couric, a familiar face, back in the host's seat after so long!
Will you be tuning in? Let us know!