Katie Couric opens up about disgraced former co-host Matt Lauer’s sexual harassment scandal as she promotes British podcast specials
IT’S a dilemma facing so many female stars here in Hollywood: How to deal with a former close colleague or friend whose reputation has been shattered by the #MeToo movement?
For KATIE COURIC – America’s preeminent female newscaster turned queen of the podcast – her reaction has been closely scrutinised.
That’s because she hosted NBC’s famous Today Show for a decade with MATT LAUER, becoming telly’s golden couple.
The pair’s historic live broadcast on September 11 2001 is now the centrepiece of the 9/11 museum in New York.
However, Lauer, who earned a record-breaking £15 million a year, saw his reputation in tatters as a result of a string of damaging sexual harassment revelations last November.
He was immediately sacked and his marriage ended.
Katie has kept largely neutral on the matter, finding herself criticised for not taking enough of a stand against her “telly husband”.
But that all changes on the latest episode of my podcast The Dan Wootton Interview (available to subscribe for free on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts).
For the first time, Katie admits the revelations have been “heartbreaking” and forever changed her view on Matt as a person.
She says sadly: “There were instances – it certainly sounds as if there were – where he exploited his power, took advantage of people, where they felt uncomfortable. It's so disappointing.
“Clearly, it's affected my view of who Matt is as a person, how could it not?
“But I think that it's a very sad thing – it's sad that that kind of culture existed and that people were hurt or damaged.”
Katie has always been a trailblazer, including becoming the first solo female anchor of one of America’s famous network evening newscasts.
She adds: “This is a long time coming and we need to now go forward.
“In addition to these accusations, allegations and removals of some of these individuals, I think we all need to work together to talk about how we make a culture that is more open to and inclusive for all people.”
Katie’s position as one of America’s most famous interviewers puts her at a unique place on the political spectrum - she’s friends with everyone.
She even attended DONALD TRUMP’s wedding to MELANIA in 2005, so I assume that makes them close? Wrong!
She says: “Well, I mean, I don't know about 'that close' but we were friendly, definitely.”
I’m fascinated about Donald’s relationship and wonder if she believed it was a loving marriage.
Katie says: “I mean, I don't know. It seemed to be. It was very beautiful and it was interesting because HILLARY CLINTON was there.”
Katie – who strongly ruled out ever running for office herself – also knows OPRAH WINFREY, tipped as a possible Democratic presidential candidate.
But she believes the reality TV presidency could cause a major reaction, explaining: “Honestly I think, maybe there will be a backlash to celebrity after this.”
That said, Katie says she admires Oprah “deeply”, adding: “I think certainly as a moral and spiritual leader, she has got what it takes in droves.
“But I think it's hard to say until somebody actually gets in that role.”
Katie is now one of the world’s most high-profile podcasters and recently brought her excellent series to London to interview stars including GRAHAM NORTON, JULIAN FELLOWES and Catastrophe star SHARON HORGAN as part of the BBC Stories editorial initiative.
So I wanted to know if the US breakfast telly queen – referred to as the “velvet hammer” because of her silky but brutal interviewing style – had any thoughts on PIERS MORGAN’s rise to the king of ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
She says of his polarising style: “I mean, listen, I think it speaks to the changing times. People are very angry, they're very polarised. They're very agitated.
“So it seems to me that he's kind of an extension of the general sentiment that's happening all over the world.
“And he's using himself as a vessel to express some of that anger and frustration and antagonism. So it's interesting.”
But for now, Katie and I are focusing on our respective interview podcasts on the exploding new media platform.
She says: “It's fascinating, the whole phenomenon isn't it? That podcasts have exploded, as you said, and there's so many different ones.
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“And in this era where we think people have such truncated and short attention spans, there's something about the intimacy and depth of a podcast that I think appeal to a number of listeners.”
Both of our podcasts – The Dan Wootton Interview and – can be subscribed to and listened to for free right now.
Katie Couric recently announced the relaunch of Katie Couric Media (KCM) as a multi-platform production company. KCM’s first project is Getting There, a six-part web series for theSkimm profiling well known and highly accomplished women.
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Loose Women star STACEY SOLOMON co-hosts this week.