DISGRACED former US TV host Matt Lauer fought to get Pippa Middleton a job at NBC – and even arranged for her to do an "excruciating" test shoot, it was revealed today.
The former Today Show anchor – at the centre of rape allegations by ex producer Brooke Nevils – wanted Pippa to become a regular contributor.
Lauer – who was fired from Today in 2017 amid sexual misconduct claims – even shut down his favourite New York steak restaurant to host a dinner for her.
Pippa was accompanied by her publicist and senior Today staffers for the meal.
Lauer also interviewed Pippa personally on air in 2014 and later and arranged for her to film a test shoot at a ranch in Montana, Page Six reports.
But a source said it turned out to be an “excruciating" experience for Pippa – the sister of future queen Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.
'NOT COMFORTABLE'
The insider said: “Pippa wasn’t comfortable with any of it.
"Buckingham Palace was putting her under tremendous pressure not to go forward or cause any embarrassment to her sister.
"Matt and Pippa were never alone, and she wasn’t really interested in the job, but nevertheless NBC staffers were nervous about Matt’s interest in Pippa.”
Lauer was later overruled by his then-boss at NBC News Deborah Turness – who said “no” to hiring Pippa, now a happily married mum.
In their 2014 interview, Lauer recalled the attention Pippa received at the royal wedding of sister Kate to Prince William in 2011.
He referred to her as a "beautiful woman" in a "very flattering dress" – a nod to how her bum stole the limelight on the big day.
Pippa sat awkwardly as she answered questions about the dress – and told how she was stunned by the attention she received.
Lauer, 61, said: "People started talking about you and for lack of a better way to explain it, the way your dress fit.
"How did you feel about that?"
A wincing Pippa replied: "It was completely unexpected.
"The plan was not really for it to be a significant dress, really just to blend in with the train.
"I suppose it's flattering. Embarrassing, definitely. The dress was meant to be insignificant."
'BUM' CHAT
Later in the interview, recorded in London, Lauer congratulated her on a cross-country cycle race she had recently completed for charity.
But again mentioning Pippa's body, Lauer asked what inspired her to keep going when her legs and "bum" were sore.
He also said he was glad she was able to "sit" after spending so much time on the bike.
It comes after a bombshell book published this week revealed the TV producer who accused Lauer of rape attempted suicide after her alleged ordeal.
Brooke Nevils also suffered PTSD following the alleged 2014 attack when she and Lauer were in Sochi, Russia, covering the Winter Olympics.
BOMBSHELL BOOK
Her harrowing account, vigorously denied by Lauer, is spelled out in graphic detail in Ronan Farrow's new book Catch And Kill.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer helped spark the #MeToo movement with his reporting in 2017 on shamed Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
His candid interviews with Nevils – who waived her anonymity – reveal sordid details of the allegations against Lauer.
Her complaint ultimately led to Lauer being sacked in 2017 – but the emotional toll of the alleged assault lingered on, it's claimed.
Nevils, 35, told Farrow: "I’ve lost everything I cared about. My job. My goals.”
In a statement last week, Lauer panned Nevils’ accusations as false and insisted their sexual encounters were consensual.
- Parts of this article originally appeared on Page Six
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