10 Questions for Meredith Vieira

By Jeff Chu

Her goofy humor and disarming frankness won Meredith Vieira myriad fans as the host of The View and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. On Sept. 13 the veteran journalist and mother of three takes a seat opposite Matt Lauer as the new co-anchor of NBC's Today show. She talked with TIME's Jeff Chu about how her husband's battles with cancer and multiple sclerosis have changed her, working moms who want to have it all, and her favorite story of all time.

In 2002 you turned down CBS's Early Show and said you "don't like getting up early in the morning." What's different now?

It's the Today show. It's an institution. I have the opportunity to do pretty much any story I want to do. And if I don't do this now, I'll probably not get offered it again. I'd kick myself. I'm not somebody who loves getting up at 4 in the morning, so this might kill me, but we'll see.

What do viewers want in the morning?

They want to feel informed when they walk outside, but I think they also want to feel good. The news these days is not particularly positive, and you have to share that. But you can also do fun things on Today and send people off with a smile on their face.

What kinds of stories do you love to do?

I'm always drawn most to the stories of everyday folks who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. My favorite story ever was one I did for West 57th, about a little boy named Anthony. He was a 7-year-old living an extremely difficult life in Chicago with a single mom who was quite troubled. He had a lot of strikes against him, but he was going to make it. I was glad I was able to introduce him and tell his story. He has since grown up and finished high school, which, in his family, nobody did. So he was a success.

Today is a great platform. Are there causes you want to advocate?

Because of my personal story, I'm very interested in illness. One thing we discovered as a family is that when you're thrown a curveball like cancer or multiple sclerosis, often people don't know what to do first. I'd love to help people navigate that so that they feel somehow in control in bad times.

How has your experience with your husband's illnesses made you different from the Meredith of, say, 20 years ago?

Let me preface this by saying I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But I do think I'm stronger. I'm more optimistic. You'd think I'd be a real pessimist, but when you handle adversity, it gives you an up feeling. I attach a value to life that I might not otherwise, because I see the other side. But I wish I could say it had never happened.

You quit 60 Minutes to focus on your family, but you now seem to juggle motherhood and work well. What do you say to women who want to have it all?

I hate that expression. When I left 60 Minutes, I had women who came up to me very angry and said, "You know, you were proof you could have it all. How dare you leave?" I thought that was ridiculous--I would lie to myself to create a lie for everybody else? You have to prioritize. If you can fit in job and kids and be comfortable with it, great. At that point, I realized I couldn't do it and give my kids and husband what they needed.

What did your mom teach you?

I was kind of raised as a boy. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, and she didn't want that for me. She always made me feel that I would do as well or better than any guy. And I was too stupid to think I would have a hard time.

Let's talk about The View for a moment. Were you tired of it?

Not tired, but I'd been doing it for nine years. The positive side was that it was like a wonderful, comfortable pair of slippers. But you can become so blase.

Have you been watching since you left--and what did you think of Star Jones Reynolds' leaving?

I didn't watch at all. I needed to think ahead. But I have to admit, the day after Star made her announcement, I watched. I feel very sad for everything that's happened and for everybody involved. I'm proud of the work we did there, but it's not a good time in the history of that show. It's hard to watch. It sort of became a joke.

At the end of each show, you always told your audience to take time to enjoy the view. Do you have time to enjoy yours?

It's dwindling! But I do. I think I'll enjoy the view from Today. If I ever reach the point where I can't enjoy it, I'm out of there. With those hours, you'd better have fun.

Editor's Note: Ms. Vieira's remarks about "The View" were intended to refer to the media attention and circus-like atmosphere surrounding the show in recent months; not the show itself. She assures TIME that in no way were her comments meant to be insensitive or derogatory about a program she takes great pride in having built and been associated with for the last nine years.