There were rumors yesterday evening that this news would be coming today, but it didn’t make watching it any easier.

Ann Curry bid a tearful farewell to the Today show this morning, expressing her love for the viewers, her colleagues, and the behind-the-scenes players on the show.

There had been speculation over the past week or so that she would be leaving the show, possibly with a big payday. During her announcement, Curry said she’d be working on big stories, “the work that most of us got into journalism to do,” which will be broadcast across NBC’s news programs. NBC News president Steve Capus went into further detail about the types of stories Curry would be covering: “humanitarian” stories both here and abroad.

Now the transition begins. The show has to introduce a new host and a new dynamic. All the while, as our contributor Jim Thompson points out, counteracting any backlash to the way Curry’s dismissal was handled.

TVNewser has also got some of the media reaction to the news. And total aside, the Today show generated a whopping $848 million in revenue for NBC last year.