Ann Curry, one of the hosts of the “Today” show, said her tearful goodbye on Thursday as NBC prepared to announce her replacement, Savannah Guthrie.

According to reports, when “Today” show Matt Lauer renegotiated his contract with NBC, he stated that he did not want 55-year-old Ann Curry as his co-anchor. Now, the female host is leaving amid a downturn of ratings at the still top-rated morning show, as well as a perceived lack of chemistry with Matt Lauer. Curry’s sudden departure comes just a little more than a year after she took over for Meredith Vieira.

“This is not as I expected, to ever leave this couch after 15 years, but I am also grateful,” the former “Today” female host said, brimming with so much emotion as she told the news, minus the congratulatory tributes that accompanied the sendoff of Vieira. Ann Curry added, “For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I’m sorry I couldn’t carry the ball to the finish line, but man, I did try.”

In an exclusive interview with USA Today on Wednesday, Ann Curry said that she was won “some fancy new titles, which essentially means I’m going to get tickets to every big story we want to cover” on different NBC News shows — which includes “Today.”

Matt Lauer told Curry, “you have the biggest heart in the business,” while weatherman Al Roker and news anchor Natalie Morales recalled some of the female host’s biggest stories.

“It’s not goodbye, not by a long shot,” said Matt Lauer, adding “you’ll be with us at the Olympics” next month.

Ann Curry expressed her dismay during her USA TODAY interview, saying that she wasn’t given enough time to work out the “kinks” she claims beleaguered every new co-host on the “Today” show. Curry added it was her “dream job, and I would be lying if I said it was easy to leave.”