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Billy Bush has opened up about the behind-the-scenes friction during his short tenure on the Today show, specifically calling out longtime weatherman Al Roker as “toxic,” “mean,” and difficult to work with.
In a candid interview on The Nerve With Maureen Callahan, the 54-year-old broadcaster reflected on his 2016 experience at NBC, revealing that tensions with Roker started even before Bush officially joined Today. According to Bush, Roker displayed passive-aggressive behavior toward him dating back to their earlier collaboration when Bush hosted Access Hollywood. That uneasy dynamic only intensified after Bush became part of the Today team in May 2016.
Bush described Roker as “territorial, vindictive, and chronically unprepared,” expressing doubts about the success of the show’s third hour where they worked side by side. He went so far as to say Roker might be “the worst interviewer on television.”
Behind the scenes, Bush said there were talks about removing Roker from the show. He claimed NBC executive Noah Oppenheim told him he was expected to stay until March 2017, when the network planned to “unload” Roker due to his “toxic” behavior.
However, those plans never came to fruition. Instead, Bush’s stint ended abruptly in October 2016 following the leak of a 2005 tape featuring Donald Trump making lewd remarks.
Bush also accused Roker of undermining him publicly, noting that Roker would like negative social media posts about Bush-posts containing damaging and false accusations. “I’m the new guy and this dude’s liking tweets calling me things that are career-ending and awful,” Bush said.
The tension extended beyond Roker. Bush recalled feeling unwelcome from then-anchor Matt Lauer as well, despite support from NBC executives. He said both Roker and Lauer “definitely did not want me there.”
Reflecting on Roker’s conduct, Bush suggested it was rooted in insecurity, despite Roker’s long-standing presence at NBC. “People don’t know how mean he is-he’s mean, he’s mean, he’s a mean person,” Bush said, describing Roker’s behavior as rageful, jealous, and vindictive. “He doesn’t share the air.”
Bush contrasted Roker’s approach with that of late-night icon Johnny Carson, who believed that strong performances from colleagues only elevated the entire show. “We all do well, everybody wins-not Al,” Bush said. “If someone’s doing well on Today, it’s immediately, ‘Take them down.’”
When asked why Roker might have felt threatened, Bush pointed to his own arrival: a younger man with a full head of hair who was well-liked by the women on staff, which Bush said infuriated Roker. “When I got sacked and sent out of there, all the women were destroyed, and the men, which is Al and Matt… they were like, ‘Get him out of here.’”