Brian Williams blames his ego in first TV interview since his NBC suspension

Brian Williams says he let his ego get the better of him in telling stories that exaggerated his role in reporting news stories.

The NBC anchorman, stripped of his role as Nightly News anchor and reassigned to MSNBC, broke his silence on NBC's Today show Friday about the episodes that derailed his career.

He said it came from a bad place inside of him, that it was "ego-driven, a desire to better my role in a story that I was already in."

"I had to be sharper, funnier, quicker than anybody else,'' explained Williams, who served as the face of the American television network's flagship evening newscast for 10 years.

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The 56-year-old veteran anchor was suspended in February for falsely saying that he was in a helicopter that was hit by enemy fire during an Iraq War reporting trip.

​An internal review of Williams' career at NBC found he had made a number of other inaccurate statements about his own role and experiences while covering events in the field.

He apologized and said he was a different man as a result.

Demoted but not fired

Williams also said the last several months have been "torture" as he read stories about his actions and realized he didn't like the man that was being described.

On Thursday, NBC announced that Williams would be re-assigned to breaking news and special coverage at the network's cable news outfit, MSNBC, where he served as anchor from 1996 to 2004.

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Andrew Lack, the chairman of NBC News and MSNBC, suggested it was Williams' 22 years at NBC that saved him from the chopping block. Lack also said the new role would give Williams a chance to earn back people's trust.

Williams says he's looking forward to the challenge.

"All I can tell people is, 'Hold me to account,'" he said. "Judge me by as harsh a standard as you wish. Many already have. That's fair."

Long-time NBC reporter Lester Holt has been named as his permanent replacement. 

Williams is expected to start at MSNBC in mid-August.