-This is -- This is a rare thing to say,
'cause I can't say this to that many people,
but you've actually hosted "The Tonight Show" before.
-That's right. Back in the Dark Ages, in 2003.
Do you remember that at all? -2003, oh, please.
-So, Jay Leno and I switched places.
I was anchoring the "Today" show.
We came up with this idea
that we were gonna do this job swap.
So, there's me at --
at the desk in L.A. -Yeah.
-And Jay Leno did the "Today" show.
-From New York or from -- -Yes, he did it from New York.
-How fun was that? -Yeah.
-What do you remember about it? -Well, it's -- it's really hard.
This job is really hard, Jimmy. -Thank you. Thank you so much.
-[ Laughs ] It's really... -Thank you.
-And -- And I remember sitting around a big, circular table,
and all the guys were --
they had all the jokes on -- on little file cards,
and they'd read them.
And some we'd be like, "That's really funny."
But most of them, we're like, "That's not really that funny."
-It's -- It's tough. I mean, I -- Trust me.
-It is. -I read not funny every night.
I mean, I -- -Yeah.
-Very used to delivering it. -No, it's hard.
It's really hard, but it was fun and --
-Do you remember any of the jokes at all?
-Yeah, well, yeah. I remember some.
Some are totally inappropriate at this point, you know?
-Yeah, of course. Yeah. -Yeah.
One in particular about Willard Scott,
which I won't get into. -[ Laughs ]
-But one was really funny, because I had done a colonoscopy
a few years earlier on the "Today" show...
-I remember. Absolutely.
-...to raise awareness about colon cancer screening.
And Jay was interviewing Colin Powell,
who, at the time, I think, was Secretary of State.
-I see where you're going with this.
-So, do you see where I'm going with this?
-No, it's great. No, I'm excited about this.
-So, I said something about, "Oh, Jay interviewed --
you know, did anyone see the 'Today' show?
Jay Leno filled in for me, and he did an interview.
Great -- really great interview with Colin Powell."
And I said,
"But probing colons -- I thought that was my job."
[ Laughter and applause ] -Yeah. There you go. Come on.
[ Rim shot ] -Thank you.
-That's what I'm talking about. You get a rim shot there.
-Yes. That's comedy! -Now, that's comedy right there.
[ Both laughing ]
You have a podcast now? -Yeah.
-You're doing it -- Are you doing that?
-My podcast with Amy Schumer drops tomorrow.
-I mean, come on. [ Cheers and applause ]
-And, you know, she and I have this weird personal history.
-Do you? -Yeah, she came on the show
and talked about when she took my cellphone...
-That's right.
-...and text-messaged my husband something super dirty.
-That's right. That's right. That's really funny.
-Do you remember that? -That's right.
Yeah, that's very funny. -Do you want -- I want --
She texted him that -- she said --
am I allowed to say this? Well, I don't know if I can --
-She's allowed to say it. You're not.
-She said -- So, she sent my husband a text that said,
from -- ostensibly from me,
saying, "I'd like to have anal tonight."
[ Laughter ]
And -- And it was so embarrassing!
We may have to cut this out. -We'll cut it out.
-And so, I -- -But it's -- it's so...
[ Laughter ] -And I said -- So, I said --
-So, she -- she grabbed your phone and did that.
-She grabbed my phone,
and she then started using it in her comedy act.
And she -- it -- it was so infuriating.
And I said, "Amy, you forgot to --
to tell everybody what my husband wrote back,"
which was, "Again?"
[ Laughter and applause ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
So, you don't have to use that. -[ Laughs ]
-Ahh. -I want to know -- the -- the --
[ Laughter ]
The podcast drops tomorrow. -Yes, yeah.
-Then -- Then you're doing something for Nat Geo.
-I'm doing a 6-hour documentary series
for National Geographic Channel.
So I've been traveling all over the country,
talking about some of the big, thorny issues
that are really dividing us
to, hopefully, kind of help people understand
different perspectives,
'cause that just doesn't happen anymore, Jimmy.
-Yeah, but you're so good at this stuff.
Do you remember, like, when you first started,
and you weren't good at this stuff?
-Oh, yeah. [ Laughs ] Yeah. Yeah.
-I mean, was there ever a time where...
-Oh, yes, there was a time. When I was --
I started out when I was 22,
and I actually went to CNN before CNN was even CNN,
when they called it "Chicken Noodle News,"
when everybody in -- on the planet could -- could be on-air.
And so the bureau chief decided to give me a chance,
'cause he knew I really wanted to be a reporter.
And I was scrappy and always asking to do assignments.
And he said, "You know what, Katie?
Go to the White House
and say what the president is doing that day.
Go in the morning."
And so, I was so excited.
I was up all night, you know, talking into my hairbrush.
And I got to work, and I went there,
and during the commercial, this anchor team,
I heard the man say to the -- the man say to the --
the female anchorwoman say to the man,
male anchorman -- duh.
She said, "Who is that?
She looks like she's about 12 years old."
And I was like -- wah-wah!
And then I got on. I was like...
[High-pitched voice] "Today, the president has a meeting
with National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski."
[ Normal voice ] And the head of CNN
called the assignment desk and said,
"I never want to see her on the air again."
[ Audience aws ] -I know.
-Unbelievable! -[ Laughs ]
-Oh, my gosh! But now -- -I like the "aw."
-Yeah, because we love you. -[ Chuckles ]
I mean, look at you now. -Well, thank you.
-Come on, you're crushing. -Yeah, thanks a lot.
-Yeah, I mean, you're Katie Couric!
[ Cheers and applause ]