Having already confirmed her departure from Today, it was business as usual for Ann Curry as she began her final day on the NBC morning show.
The anchor's voice came on the air at exactly 7 a.m. EDT, informing about raging fires in Colorado, a new diet pill and Obama's health care law.
It wasn't until 8:50 a.m. that Curry got around to her farewell announcement. And what an emotional farewell it was. Watch her speech below:
Ann Curry Today Show Farewell Speech
Curry is expected to be named Today anchor-at-large, which she hinted at briefly in her speech, with Savannah Guthrie likely taking over her post.
Ann was fighting back tears even as she began, "This is not easy to say, but today's going to be my last morning as regular co-host of Today."
She paused as her voice cracked.
"This is not as I expected, to ever leave this couch after 15 years, but I am so grateful, especially to all of you who watch because Matt and I - and everyone who sits on this couch - we often call ourselves a family, but YOU are the real Today show family."
"You are why I have ventured into dangerous places and interviewed dictators and jumped out of planes and off of bridges and climbed mountains and landed in the South Pole and convinced the Dalai Lama to come live in our studio."
"I have loved you and I have wanted to give you the world, and I still do."
She said she'll get "a fancy new title," and "go all over the world and all over the county at a time when this country and this world needs clarity."
With increasing emotion, she went on:
"I don't even know if I can sleep in anymore after all these years! But I know whatever time I wake up, I'll be missing you. And I'll be believing in you. I love all of you, especially all of you who are behind the scenes, behind the cameras. I love you guys."
"For all of you who saw me as a ground-breaker, I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball to the finish line, but man, I did try."
"And so to all of you who watched: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me touch yours. ... I will keep trying and I'm sorry I turned into a sob sister this morning."
"Please forgive me, but I hope you'll wish me well."
