Katie Couric Has Returned to 'Today' as a Guest Almost 20 Years After Leaving

If you grew up watching the Today show around the '90s and early 2000s, then you likely remember Katie Couric's tenure as one of the hosts. She hosted the show from 1991 to 2006, and her tenure included many remarkable, memorable moments, including her asking what the internet is.

On Sept. 25, Katie returned to the show to celebrate the 25th anniversary of something both special and highly unusual. Here's what we know about what she was celebrating.

Katie returned to Today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the moment when she received a colonoscopy live and on the air. Hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin made the announcement.

“Quick note about tomorrow. A familiar face will be back here in her old stomping grounds. Katie [Couric]!” Savannah shared. “It’s been 25 years since she made history on the Today show when she got that colonoscopy live on the air.”

Both Katie and Craig have a history of being staunch advocates for colorectal health. Katie lost her husband John Monahanto colorectal cancer in 1998, which is part of what spurred her to get the exam on the air. Craig, meanwhile, lost his brother Lawrence Meadows to the disease in 2020.

Craig teased that Katie was not just celebrating an anniversary but also announcing a new initiative designed to save more lives.

“It moved the needle in terms of screenings around this country," he said. "To this day, she remains a leading advocate for colon cancer awareness and research. She’s gonna join us to reveal her next big project aimed at saving lives.”

During her appearance, she debuted a new PSA designed to encourage people to get screened for colorectal cancer and parodied Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle ad in the process.

The ad starts with Katie lying in a hospital bed in denim, and she rattles off a few facts about colon health.

"Speaking of jeans, did you know the majority of people who develop colon cancer are not genetically predisposed to the disease? That's why doctors recommend everyone 45 and older get checked." she says in a suggestive tone. "Mine are televised."

Katie apparently teamed up with Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Ryan Reynolds's production company, Maximum Effort, for the ad, which she said she had a great time shooting. She also called the continued impact that her decision to have a colonoscopy on the air had "incredibly gratifying," even as she's clearly trying to do more to make sure people get tested.

"I think it was one of the first times that a journalist or a public figure had really undergone a medical procedure on national television," she said. "I hope that I was instrumental in destigmatizing both the disease and the fact that you can get screened for colon cancer. It's one of those cancers that is highly preventable if it's caught early."

If Katie says it's a good idea to get screened, who are we to disagree?