It’s not unusual for winners of various events to appear on the “Today” show, bask in the hosts’ attention, and smile while answering softball questions. While the food was festive, the champion getting applause on the Monday, June 24, episode of the NBC morning show was a bit different.
(Want to watch the entire episode? You can stream the “Today” show on Fubo, which offers a free trial.)
The champ this time was Wild Thang, an 8-year-old Pekingese who was the winner of this weekend’s World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. Appearing with his owner, Ann Lewis, of North Bend, Wild Thang seemed to calmly fit right in, as the hosts and Lewis made the point that, as Lewis said, “Even ugly dogs are lovable.”
Gadi Schwartz, an NBC News correspondent, was on hand to introduce a video package filmed at this weekend’s Ugliest Dog event, held in Petaluma, California. Schwartz was one of the judges, and in his piece, he was shown interviewing attendees, praising one frazzle-furred contestant’s “Beyonce hair,” and introducing Wild Thang as a “loose-tongued hairball.”
After the video segment, which also included Lewis saying Wild Thang had entered the contest five times before, she and Wild Thang sat on a couch on the “Today” show set, joined by Schwartz, Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Carson Daly.
Lewis said she had fun even during the years Wild Thang didn’t win, and added that the event is for a good cause, in that it advocates for adopting animals from shelters and rescue services.
Wild Thang, with his tongue dangling out of his mouth, sat on Lewis’ lap and seemed to make the point that, as she said, “Even ugly is beautiful.”
As the Press Democrat newspaper in Sonoma County reported, cash prizes for winners — Lewis took home $5,000 for Wild Thang’s top dog title — “were conditioned on NBC’s ‘Today’ show, a sponsor of the event, running an exclusive first interview live Monday.”
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