Meredith Vieira is looking to leave her post as co-anchor on the 'Today Show' when her contract is up in September, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. The news comes just days after Meredith Vieira's predecessor Katie Couric also hinted that she could leave her role at Cbs.

According to one of Meredith Vieira's closest friends, she is now looking to spend more time with her family. The insider said, "This is mostly about her husband and her family - though Meredith has never made a secret about how that early morning schedule is not something she wants to do at this stage of her life". The 57-year-old's husband, Richard Cohen, has long battled multiple sclerosis and cancer and Meredith is reportedly keen to spend the maximum amount of time with him. The source added, "Meredith loves the news and loves everyone at 'Today,' but she clearly feels family trumps career at this point". Neither Nbc nor Vieira have specifically commented on the speculation, but the network did release a statement stressing that all anchors are under contract.

During an interview with the Ladies Home Journal in October 2010, Meredith Vieira claimed that she wouldn't be frightened to leave the network, saying, "I'll know when it's time to go, and I'm not afraid to go. . I wouldn't jump into another show. I would look forward to not working, to traveling with Richard and carving out time for us".


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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/04/05/2011-04-05_meredith_vieira_likely_to_leave_nbcs_today_show_after_replacing_katie_couric_as_.html