While you were either watching the USA-Canada women’s hockey gold medal game or sleeping Wednesday night, NBC announced that fashion icons and figure skating analysts Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir — along with their straight man, Terry Gannon — will host the Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony.
In their first year as the Olympic primetime figure skating analysts (they were the daytime analysts in Sochi four years ago, with Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic handling primetime), Tara & Johnny once again took Pyeongchang’s Gangneung Ice Arena by storm — not only with their fashion, but with their astute analysis.
Since their debut in 2014, Tara & Johnny have had a meteoric rise on the Peacock as they’ve been assigned to various events by NBC, including the Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl XLIX and the 2016 Summer Olympics, as well as making appearances on Access Hollywood.
Keeping the band together for another show! #ClosingCeremony @JohnnyGWeir @taralipinski @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/uN4RPaQCmE
— Terry Gannon 🌻 (@terrygannon83) February 22, 2018
Now the duo gets the plum assignment of providing commentary for the Closing Ceremony with Gannon playing his regular play-by-play role. Had Adam Rippon opted to join NBC’s coverage as a correspondent, perhaps he would’ve been part of the coverage too. But that would’ve prevented him from participating in what will likely be his only Olympic Games.
This isn’t the first time that NBC has gone the non-traditional route for the Olympics Closing Ceremony. In 2016, Mike Tirico, Mary Carillo, and Ryan Seacrest were the commentary team from Rio. In Sochi, NBC elected to use the Sunday Night Football team of Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, who were joined by Russian commentator Vladimir Pozner. Bob Costas, Michaels, and Seacrest teamed up in 2012 for the London Closing Ceremony. Costas and Michaels paired up for the 2010 Vancouver Closing Ceremony. Lastly, Dan Hicks and Mary Carillo provided commentary for the 2008 Closing Ceremony in Beijing.
Expect to hear some thoughts on the fashion on display, as well as the pageantry from Tara and Johnny. The PyeongChang Closing Ceremony will air on NBC Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on tape delay.
