Carson Daly took a trip down memory lane last night, and took his son along for the ride!
On Wednesday, September 11, the Today Show host returned to his roots by attending and presenting at the 40th annual MTV Video Music Awards.
Prior to his gig on Today, which began in 2013, the television veteran was the host of Total Request Live, a.k.a. TRL, one of MTV’s most popular programs, from 1998 to 2003.
Ahead of presenting the award for Best K-Pop, which went to Blackpink’s Lisa, Carson walked the red carpet with his son Jackson, 15, who looks just like him, especially during his TRL days.
Both looked dapper and cool, Carson in a black jacket and pants paired with a chocolate brown shirt and Nike sneakers, while his son, rocking very Y2K-esque frosted tips, wore a pinstripe navy jacket layered over a black t-shirt and gray pants.
Carson made a cheeky nod to his MTV era ahead of presenting the award, telling the audience: “For those of you who are a little too young to know who I am, I was the host of a show on MTV called Total Request Live or TRL, [a] very long time ago. It was the best show, kids going crazy in Times Square, and every day after school, I was with your mother, so please tell her, I said hi.”
The following morning, speaking on the Today Show about the special night, and having his son with him, he noted it was the teen’s first award show, and gushed: “It was great. It was really full circle for me.”
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“He got to see everybody,” he shared, before joking: “And MTV, it’s like being backstage at an old school Las Vegas show. There’s lots of scantily clad young ladies walking around. I had to pick his jaw off the ground a few times.”
In addition to Jackson, Carson is also a dad to daughters Etta Jones, 11, London Rose, nine, and Goldie Patricia, three, who he shares with his wife Siri Pinter, daughter of soap opera star Mark Pinter, who he met in 2005 and married in 2015.
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Last year, reflecting on the 25th anniversary of TRL, Carson wrote on Instagram: “25 yrs ago today, before Instagram, TikTok & Facebook there was TRL. The 1st truly interactive, fan driven show on tv. It was my home for some of the best years of my life.”
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He went on: “I had the privilege to introduce so much to so many. Music, movies, celebrities, world events & more.
“All Live, everyday. I’m so grateful for that time & all of you who allowed me (and my T-Mobile SideKick) to be a part of your life. I hope this finds you happy & healthy 25 yrs later.”