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‘Today’ Show’s Matt Lauer and Al Roker Reveal They Didn’t Like Each Other at First: ‘We Had a Rough Start’

From foes to friends! Matt Lauer and Al Roker revealed that they didn’t like each other at first while playing an ice-breaker game on the Today show’s Thursday, June 22, episode.  

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“We had a rough start,” Lauer, 59, admitted of his relationship with the weather anchor, 62. “It’s amazing we are dear friends now.” 

Matt Lauer and Al Roker
Matt Lauer and Al Roker on ‘Today’ at New York City in 2017. Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The host recalled a memory from the 1990s, when he and Roker joined the NBC program, that sparked their short-lived feud. “Long story short, we’re on the air one time on local television years ago,” Lauer explained. “Al said something to me that I did not appreciate, live on television.”

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Roker then chimed and gave his account of the event. Lauer messed up “my name and I said, ‘Wow, not so easy in the big leagues, is it pretty boy?’”

The remaining hosts, who were seemingly surprised that Lauer and Roker weren’t always so close, couldn’t contain their laughter.

As the game continued, Lauer’s regular co-host, Savannah Guthrie, revealed her first impression of him. “The first time I met you, I think I thought you were cute,” she gushed to the Dateline contributor.

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“Really? That’s nice,” Lauer responded. Added Guthrie, 45, “And scary!”

But Lauer was perfectly content with his co-star’s confession. “It’s better than ‘Not so easy in the big time, pretty boy,’” he said.

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