The infamously ousted "Today" show co-host Ann Curry described her final days on the show as "professional torture," according to a new book detailing the world behind morning talk shows.
New York Times reporter Brian Stelter revealed in an excerpt from his upcoming book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV that Matt Lauer's co-anchor was the butt of many harsh staffroom jokes.
An excerpt of the book which appeared in the New York Times Magazine, says the main person behind Curry's ouster was "Today" executive producer Jim Bell, who called his plan to get rid of Curry "Operation Bambi."
Among the other revelations in the report: Bell created a blooper reel of Curry's on-camera mistakes and created a photo of Curry in a yellow dress alongside a picture of Big Bird asking the question, "Who wore it better?" The book goes on to note that Bell denies these actions.
"Curry felt that the boys' club atmosphere behind the scenes at 'Today' undermined her from the start, and she told friends that her final months were a form of professional torture," Stelter wrote.
The reporter went on to note that the former co-anchor still feels "profoundly hurt and humiliated" by the "final months" of "professional torture" and her exit from the show.
An unidentified "Today" staffer told Stelter that "a lot of time in the control room was spent making fun of Ann's outfit choices or just generally messing with her."
