---

&34;When I see his name to this day in the prompter, my heartbeat starts to go,&34; the 'Today' host admits. Carson Daly is still traumatized over what he once

"When I see his name to this day in the prompter, my heartbeat starts to go," the 'Today' host admits.

Carson Daly is still traumatized over what he once called Leonardo DiCaprio live on air

"When I see his name to this day in the prompter, my heartbeat starts to go," the 'Today' host admits.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

EW's editorial guidelines

October 21, 2025 10:55 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Carson Daly; Leonardo DiCaprio. Credit:

Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Carson Daly is living proof that there are some mistakes you will never be able to get over — especially when they happen on live TV!**

During the first-ever* *Fan Fest on Monday, the *Today *host and former *TRL* host recalled one of his earliest "snafus" when he began working on the daytime talk show. Prodded by a fan question about bloopers while reading a story on air, asked by Bravo host Andy Cohen, Daly recalled how working with a teleprompter and a big name like Leonardo DiCaprio tripped him up.**

"I was new here too, I wasn't used to the teleprompter," Daly said, delivering a disclaimer before continuing, "and I said — the story about Leonardo [DiCaprio] — and I said 'Leonardo DeCrapio.'"

While fellow cohosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin couldn't contain their laughter, Daly admitted that the trip-up still haunts him. "And to this day, when I see Leonardo's name in the prompter, my heartbeat starts to go," he confessed.

Carson Daly on March 24, 2025.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

To be fair to Daly, DiCaprio's (Oscar-winning) name is a mouthful.

The actor has been vocal about how his name initially led to some drawbacks when he started out as a child actor. During an appearance on the *New Heights* podcast last month, DiCaprio recalled being told by an agent that that he needed to change his name to "Lenny Williams" because his true name was "too ethnic."

DiCaprio explained that he had been 12 or 13 when the suggestion was made and that "Williams" came from his middle name, Wilhelm.

Carson Daly had terrifying panic attack at 'TRL,' thought he'd die

'Titanic' nearly flopped until a surprising gamble saved the movie from sinking

But the actor's father, George DiCaprio, a performance artist and writer himself, would hear nothing of his son hiding their Italian heritage.

"My dad saw his photo, ripped it up, and he said, 'Over my dead body,' " DiCaprio shared. Even when the star became discouraged after countless auditions, his father wouldn't let him quit. "I remember saying to my dad, 'This is horrible...' I just remember, my dad sings, you know, 'Someday you're gonna have your time, son. Just keep at it. Keep at it.'"

Of course, DiCaprio went on to make his mark as a young heartthrob in '90s hits like *Romeo + Juliet*, *What's Eating Gilbert Grape*, and James Cameron's Oscar-winning disaster film *Titanic*. The 1997 film shattered box office records, became a worldwide phenomenon, and turned Leonardo DiCaprio into a household name.**

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Watch Carson Daly's confession during *Today*'s Fan Fest above.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL TV"

Read More

---

Source: GETTY MAG

Read More >> Full Article on Source: GETTY MAG

#LALifestyle #USCelebrities