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Savannah Who! Katie Couric Being Courted For Permanent Return To 'Today'

//katie couric today return contract negotiation

Jan. 4 2017, Published 9:52 a.m. ET

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Katie Couric has reunited with her former longtime Today co-anchor Matt Lauer while filling in for Savannah Guthrie, but RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned she wants to make her return permanent!

"It just feels like I never left," Couric, who turns 60 on Jan. 7, gushed on the show Monday — the first time she's appeared on the program in over ten years.

Couric left the popular morning show in 2006, 15 years after she started, to anchor the nightly news on CBS before eventually joining Yahoo.

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She beamed while sitting in the seat of Lauer's current co-anchor, Guthrie, 45, who is currently out on maternity leave.

Should Guthrie be worried about Couric getting so cozy?

"Katie wants to return to Today in some role," said the source, adding NBC bosses are feeling the same.

"Her chemistry with Matt is fantastic and the early numbers show viewers have missed her, too," explained the source.

"Katie's agents are talking with NBC about her returning full time."

A source close to Couric denies the rumors, but if head honchos do go for Couric's return, they will have to be careful how they handle a transition with Guthrie, after the were burnt by bad publicity for showing Ann Curry the door in 2012 after 25 years on Today.

"One idea is to 'promote' Savannah to reporting on NBC Nightly News or have her host Weekend Nightly News and give her a role on Meet the Press," claimed the source.

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"Another suggestion is leave Savannah on the 7 a.m. news hour and have Katie co-host the 8 a.m. hour with Matt."

Despite the flutter of activity behind the scenes, the source noted, "No decision has been made but conversations are definitely happening."

"The person who has the most power is Matt," insisted the source. "If he approves, Katie could be back!"

Lauer, 59, marks 20 years on the show this month.

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"It went by so fast,'' he noted to his sidekick Couric upon her temporary return. "But that means it's a good thing. That means it's been fun and interesting and challenging, and it all started with you in 1997."

Still, the source close to Couric insisted, "She has had a great time, but first of all, she has great respect for Matt and Savannah and the entire team over there and second, she has a lot of other projects and isn't interested in going back to the early morning format."

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