Matt Lauer

Matthew Todd Lauer (born December 30, 1957 in New York City) is an American television personality.

Lauer began his career in 1979 as a producer of the noon news for WOWK-TV in Huntington, West Virginia. In 1980, he was a reporter on the 6 and 11 o'clock newscasts. Prior to joining WNBC-TV in New York where he rose to Today in New York co-anchor with Jane Hanson from 1992 to 1994, and Live at Five co-anchor with Sue Simmons from 1993 to 1996, Lauer hosted a three-hour live interview program, 9 Broadcast Plaza, from 1989-1991. He also hosted a number of weekly information and talk programs in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence, and Richmond. He was also host of PM Magazine from 1980-1986. Lauer also filled in for Marget Larson as the newsreader on The Today Show from 1992 to 1993

He joined the Today Show in January 1994 as news anchor, while anchoring Today in New York, and Live at Five, and has been co-anchor since January 6, 1997, along with Katie Couric. Before becoming co-host of The Today Show Lauer filled in for Bryant Gumbel as host of the today show, Katie Couric as co-host of the today show, Scott Simon, Mike Schiender, and Jack Ford as the co-host of Weekend Today, and for Ann Curry as anchor of the former NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise from 1992 to 1997. Lauer has also filled in for Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News.

He was married from 1982 until 1989 to Nancy Alspaugh (1955-), a television producer. The marriage ended in divorce; the couple had no children.

From 1989 until 1996, he dated Kristen Gesswein, a television newscaster. They were briefly engaged.

In 1997, he met model Annette Roque, who went by the professional name Jade Roque. They married a year later. Born in the Netherlands, she is Dutch, Chinese, and Indonesian by heritage. They have two children, a son, Jack Matthew, and a daughter, Romy. In the summer of 2005, Lauer and his wife separated.

He also worked for ESPN in the 1980s. He attended Ohio University, in Athens, OH, but left four credit-hours short of graduating in 1979.

In a June 2005 interview with Matt Lauer, Tom Cruise got into an argument with Lauer about Psychiatry and called Lauer "glib." That same month, he hosted The Greatest American on the Discovery Channel, which used Internet and Phone voting by viewers to select the winner. Lauer was rather critical of his own program, since it tended to favor well-known figures over others who had less influence in pop culture. Lauer will most likely step down as co-host of Today at the end of 2007 when his contact with NBC News expires and also when he turns 50. Lauer said that instead of seeking an evening news position he plans on working part-time once he leaves the Today show. Lester Holt or David Gregory will likely replace Lauer as Today show co-host when Lauer leaves. Lauer is now being considered to replace Peter Jennings on ABC News's World News Tonight.

External link

• MSNBC bio
• Matt's Video Blog