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Bush Slams Roker: 'Vindictive, Rageful' Colleague
16 Jun
Summary
- Billy Bush called Al Roker vindictive and rageful.
- Bush claims Roker felt threatened by him and disliked him.
- Bush alleges Roker is unprepared and a poor interviewer.
Billy Bush has publicly described his former Today cohost, Al Roker, using strong negative terms such as "vindictive," "rageful," and "mean." Bush, who appeared on the show for two months in 2016, suggested that Roker perceived him as a threat and did not want him associated with the program. He characterized Roker as "territorial" and "chronically unprepared."
According to Bush, Roker's alleged animosity was fueled by Bush being a younger colleague who was well-liked by female staff members. Bush also contended that Roker is an ineffective interviewer and that the third hour of Today would not succeed with him as a permanent cohost. He recounted an incident where Roker allegedly "liked" a tweet that called Bush a "white-splaining racist."
Bush asserted that Roker did not foster a collaborative environment, stating that Roker seemed to actively try to undermine colleagues he saw succeeding on the show. He implied that Roker, along with Matt Lauer and the executive producer Don Nash, wanted him removed from the program, especially after the Trump-related incident that led to Bush's departure from NBC.
