Ann Curry, Matt Lauer reunite on 'Today'

Ousted as co-anchor in late June, Ann Curry was back at "Today" to conduct an interview from London Thursday but it's what she said off the air that was more memorable.

In an interview appearing in the August issue of Ladies' Home Journal, Curry said a colleague once compared her to Froot Loops' mascot Toucan Sam, while she said she had friction with producers over her choice of shoes.

"One day I wore a multicolored dress and someone asked if I was trying to be Toucan Sam. But I chose it because I thought, 'This will perk up America.' "

The Ladies' Home Journal interview didn't indicate whether her wardrobe choices contributed to her departure, but she did say that they led to friction: "I'm encouraged by my bosses to wear these ridiculously high-heeled shoes because women say, 'I love your shoes!' So if it makes women happy, I'll wear them. But I'm still going to be me . . . I've tried to wear clogs and flats on TV and it hasn't gone well with my bosses."

Curry was replaced by Savannah Guthrie in early July after a 15-year run at the show. She has remained with the show as correspondent and anchor at large, and contributed to its coverage last month of the Aurora shooting. In the LHJ interview, which took place before her departure, she said "I'd love to make it to 20 [years at 'Today']. I think eventually I want to become a teacher, like my father wanted to be."

The interview on Thursday's show that she conducted with Getty Images chief photographer Adam Pretty was preceded by a brief introduction by former colleague Matt Lauer, whom many observers believe helped orchestrate her departure. Their first on-air encounter, while initially cool, ended on a briskly cordial note. "You're pretty good with a camera," Lauer said. "You pick anything up?" She said she "learned some lessons from him, especially the idea of layering."

For the record, Curry was wearing a blue dress -- however, a clip didn't reveal her choice of shoes.