Matt Lauer on Ann Curry Firing: NBC Handled Today Show 'Crisis' Badly, Took 'Dark and Depressing' Direction, 'Devastated' Ratings

In an exclusive, "tell all" interview with Howard Kurtz of the Daily Beast, popular journalist and anchorman Matt Lauer opens up at the controversial NBC firing of former "Today Show" co-host, Ann Curry. According to Lauer, executives at NBC handled the entire situation rather poorly - as a result, the direction of the prestigious morning television show plummeted downhill and influenced "devastating" ratings. Things got extremely dark and depressing, and Lauer reveals that he "lost a lot of battles" when he attempted to turn things back around in a more positive direction. Lauer admits that things are finally getting back to normal now, and he definitely can't complain given how lucky he is to have such a rewarding job.

According to Lauer, NBC's firing of Ann Curry was a "disaster waiting to happen" - "I don't think the show and the network handled the transition well. You don't have to be Einstein to know that... It clearly did not help us. We were seen as a family, and we didn't handle a family matter well."

For those readers who aren't familiar with the situation - Curry, a popular and longtime NBC television personality and anchor, announced in an emotional "Today Show" broadcast on June 28, 2012 that she was leaving her co-hosting position. NBC executives ultimately asked her to resign because of lower ratings and other factors including the way she dressed and her refusal to cover her gray hair.

Following Curry's sudden termination, the atmosphere at the "Today Show" set took a dark and gloomy turn:

"The show got a little dour and depressing and dark," explains Lauer, who "lost a lot of battles" when objecting to the new show content and material. "Even if [the stories] popped in the ratings in the short term, they did some damage in terms of trust with our viewers," Lauer says. "We got drunk on it."

Finally, for the first time in over 16 years, the "Today Show" lost its prestigious first place rating to ABC's "Good Morning America."

"In some ways being No. 2 in the ratings is a real shot in the arm, a kick in the pants," Lauer tells Kurtz. "It makes you hungrier ... I don't think it's a bad thing to have a fire lit under you're a##."

But now, just under one year later, things are finally taking a turn for the better. And no, Lauer is not resigning from his "Today Show" post, despite the ongoing rumors. Stress and controversy go along with the job, and such factors are what drive Lauer to keep going:

"It's a much more positive show, a more uplifting show. Much of the darkness is gone, by design," Lauer explains. "I'm not going to whine or get depressed. Who's going to feel sorry for me? Nobody. I am the luckiest guy I know."

For the full exclusive (and revealing) interview with Lauer, check out the Daily Beast.