Billy Bush didn’t hold back when discussing his former “Today” colleague, Al Roker. He claimed that the loving on-air personality fans see hide how the longtime NBC host behaves when cameras aren’t filming. While performing on “The Nerve with Maureen Callahan” podcast on June 12, Bush was candid — and inflammatory — when discussing his time working with Roker. “The way I describe Al is three words: territorial, vindictive and chronically unprepared,” he said, attacking the way Roker approached the interview process. Bush then claimed that the beloved version of Roker that fans see is far from his actual demeanor. “He’s evil. He’s an evil person,” Bush said. “When you say furious and all that, there’s rage in there,” he added.
During his short time working on “Today,” Bush said Roker often greeted him with hostility because he was threatened. According to Bush, the untold truth about Roker was that his behavior behind the scenes almost got him fired. “We’re getting (Roker) out of this deal. When it’s over, we’re going to get him off this hour because he’s toxic,” Bush recalled an NBC executive telling him. It never happened as it was Bush who left “Today” in October 2016, following the leak of the incendiary conversation he previously had with Donald Trump.
Before they ever worked together, a TMZ the video went viral in March 2014, showing Roker jokingly berating Bush, who was trying to film a segment. “Everybody on this f***in’ team wants to say that, but they don’t. They’re afraid of hurting your f***in’ fragile ego,” Roker said as the crew members laughed. Bush’s description of the real Roker was closer to this persona. Another former “Today” host has also accused Roker of being “evil.”
Megyn Kelly Blasts Al Roker
Megyn Kelly went to the scorched earth in a January interview with Daily Mail as she described the “worst” celebrities she had met. The former Fox News personality named Bruce Willis and Jane Fonda among the villains. She also said that one of the the dark secrets of the “Today” cast was that Al Roker was among the “mean” A-listers. Kelly had a colorful way of describing her dislike of Roker. “Let’s just say if my mom ran into Al Roker, she would turn into Larry David bumping into Alan Dershowitz on Martha’s Vineyard very quickly,” she told the publication.
The feud between the two dates back to Kelly’s time on “Today,” when she was fired from the show after questioning why it was offensive for white people to dress up in blackface for Halloween. After facing fierce backlash for her comments, Kelly issued an on-air apology, but Roker felt the gesture fell short. “The fact is, she owes a bigger apology to people of color around the country,” he said on the daytime show (via The Guardian). “This is a history that goes back to the 1830s (with) minstrel shows. Denigrating and belittling a race was not right,” Roker said.
Years later, Kelly continued to hold a grudge. Months after she called him one of the “meanest” celebrities, Kelly Roker based an episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show” that was sent in April. “Here’s your excuse Al, get over yourself fat man. F*** off!” Kelly said. “For many years I have wanted to say this,” she added.
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