I was watching "The Today Show" this morning, as I do every morning, and the show anchors, Meredith Viera, Al Rooker, and Willie Geist, (a fill in for Matt) were outside with the crowd. Meredith was doing a segway into the next story and the show went to a video clip as Meredith was doing the lead in. The audio was still on as the video played. The next thing I know, I hear Meredith saying, in a very alarmed voice, "Are You Crazy?!" Just then, the camera went in to Ann Curry and she proceeded with the news update and told the audience that the producers would find out what is happening outside and get let us know. According to the Huntington Post, Apparently, a man jumped over the barricades at the "Today" show plaza while screaming that he was "God's Gift to Music."
After the incident, hosts Meredith Vieira, Al Roker and Willie Geist discussed what had happened on the set and Meredith expressed her anxiety on air."We're certainly awake now," Vieira said.
I hope that this incident doesn't prevent the anchors from honoring their aged old tradition of going outside mingling with the crowd; however, after today, I am sure that if they do keep this great tradition, more security measures will be taken!
