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Billy Bush and Al Roker worked together at The Today Show for less than a year in 2016, and to say it didn’t go well would be an understatement. There was a much-publicized on-air argument. There were rumors of behind the scenes issues, and a decade later, it seems those negative vibes are still there. During a recent podcast appearance, Bush was asked about his time working with Roker, and he did not hold back on the 71-year-old affectionately dubbed America’s Weatherman.
In a blistering rant that lasted almost ten minutes, only interrupted by host Maureen Callahan’s follow-up questions, Bush went off on Roker. He said he had great relationships with all of his female co-workers, but both Roker and anchor Matt Lauer hated him immediately. He said Roker especially was “territorial, vindictive and chronically unprepared.” He also accused him of being the sort of person who gets jealous if other people have good moments on the show.
Here's a portion of the quote from his appearance on The Nerve...
People don’t know how mean he is. He’s mean. He’s mean. He’s a mean person…. There is rage in there. There’s jealousy. I talk about vindictiveness, but he’s mean. He doesn't share the air.
According to Bush, the problems with Roker began almost immediately. He was originally brought in to The Today Show to help liven up the third hour, the one Roker hosted, but because the weatherman didn’t have any say in the decision, it allegedly didn’t sit well with him. Bush claims his old Access Hollywood producer told him before he even arrived on set that he heard the talent didn’t want him there, and that’s the impression he got immediately. He said there was a general unfriendliness and not long after, he was told that Roker had liked a tweet from a random Twitter user that accused Bush of racism.
Some tension over how many questions Bush was asking during interviews and other small matters allegedly became a regular part of their working relationship, but the partnership wasn’t destined to last very long. First, the two got into a much-publicized argument on-air over Ryan Lochte’s debunked story about being robbed during the Olympics. Then a few months later, behind the scenes footage from an old Access Hollywood interview went viral in which Bush appeared to laugh while President Trump talked about groping women. He was quickly suspended and later let go. He eventually took a job with Extra.
It’s been a long time since the two worked together, but it’s obvious all of Bush’s negative feelings are still fresh. With time to reflect, he’s of the opinion that Roker has always wanted to be more than a weatherman. According to him, that’s why he pushed to be involved in segments outside the weather. It’s allegedly why he pushed to host the third hour of Today, and it’s why he was so touchy about who was doing what. You can watch the full interview segment below…
Of course, that’s just Bush’s side of the story. Obviously things didn’t work out as well for him as hoped at The Today Show. Roker, however, is still there and is celebrating his 30 year anniversary on the show this year. It’s been an all-time run, and notably, one that has included an almost twenty year co-working relationship with Bush’s cousin Jenna Bush Hager, who hosts the fourth hour of Today and also hilariously once accused him of making out with her grandmother.
I would be surprised if Roker addresses his relationship with Billy Bush directly. He’s normally pretty professional during his media appearances, but maybe at some point, we’ll get the weatherman’s side of the story. I’m sure he has thoughts, whether he ever shares them or not.
