Katie Couric’s Talk Show Debuts with Jessica Simpson, Sheryl Crow Today; Barbra Streisand and Sofia Vergara Scheduled (VIDEO)

Katie Couric starts her new talk show "Katie" on many ABC affiliates. (Photo : Joella Marano / Creative Commons)

Former "Today" co-host Katie Couric journeys on a new career as a daytime talk show host today on ABC. The journalist's new show is promised to be "packed with surprises!"

The first guests on "Katie" will be nine-time Grammy award winning artist Sheryl Crow, who also helped perform the theme song for the talk show. Crow is expected to talk "for the first time," according to the official "Katie" website, about her newly diagnosed brain tumor. This is Crow's second time battling such a disease, first battling breast cancer six years ago.

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"Please don't worry about my 'brain tumor'", Crow posted on her Facebook page, "it's a non-cancerous growth. I know some folks can have problems with this kind of thing, but I want to assure everyone I'm OK."

Another guest set for Couric's debut episode is singer Jessica Simpson. The songstress is scheduled to talk about life as a new mother following the birth of her first child last May. Simpson's weight struggles is another topic that will be discussed, both prior and after the birth.

Couric enters the daytime show world following her stint as anchor of the "CBS Evening News."

According to the Daily Herald, "A daytime format seemed to be the best fit for my skill set," said Couric. "I like interacting with people. I like conversation. I like spontaneity. There are very few places on TV where you can have all that."

She added, "What we're trying to do is take issues that are in the zeitgeist and affect people's lives, and dig a little deeper to give people some perspective and I want to make it as timely as possible, even though we may be dealing with evergreen issues."

Couric's debut comes as many other personalities start their daytime talk show debuts as well, such as "Survivor" host Jeff Probst, comedian Steve Harvey, and Ricki Lake who'll return to television after a hiatus from her previous daytime talk show.

For Tues., Sept. 11, Couric's guest will be 24-year-old Aimee Copeland, the person who lost parts of all her limbs following a rare flesh-eating disease bacteria infected her.

Although the dates have not been confirmed, future guests on "Katie" include Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Demi Lovato, and "Fifty Shades of Grey" author E.L. James.

To find out what time "Katie" starts in your town, click here.