Sorry, John Cena … your pouring-your-heart-out move on the “Today” show to win back Nikki Bella didn’t work. In fact, the WWE star looked downright unimpressed when “Extra” asked her about Cena’s emotional segment with Hoda and Kathie Lee…
Showing posts with label Today. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Today. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Savannah Guthrie & Hoda Kotb: How is "Today" Doing Without Matt Lauer?
In the wake of a sex scandal that included some truly heinous allegations, Matt Lauer has lost his wife. He’s lost his job. He’s lost any respect or trust that the American public once placed in him.
And NBC’s Today, which he hosted for decades, lost him as its host.
Now hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, how are the ratings doing? You might be shocked.
Matt Lauer is said to be broken and ashamed following the horrible accusations from his time at NBC.
Sweet, sweet schadenfreude aside, a lot of people wonder if NBC — while doing the right thing — effectively shot itself in the foot by firing Matt Lauer.
Before the accusations of sexual harassment and rape came out, Matt Lauer enjoyed tremendous popularity.
Some considered him to be akin to “America’s dad,” finding his occasional slip-ups during interviews to be adorable rather than red flags.
With Lauer gone, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb are cohosts of Today.
While they’re definitely better choices than an alleged sexual predator and creep, how are the ratings going? Did viewers flee from the show when the scandal broke?
As it turns out, and you may be surprised by this, Today‘s ratings aren’t just good — they’re outstanding.
According to Nielsen results, Today ranks #1 among adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. Those are a couple of very coveted demographics.
Looking back to the same week last year, Today has improved its lead over Good Morning America by 16%.
This makes this Today‘s best streak in 5 years, in terms of raw numbers of viewers and in terms of key demographics.
Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie should be very proud of themselves.
Just after Thanksgiving in 2017, Matt Lauer was fired for alleged sexual misconduct.
At the time, NBC admitted that they had reason to believe that the incident that had been reported to them was part of a larger pattern.
And then the reports, which reporters had been quietly researching for weeks, began to surface.
Accusations included stories of dropping his pants or “gifting” sex toys to colleagues without invitation or consent.
One pants-dropping incident was allegedly followed by Matt Lauer lecturing the woman for not performing a sex act.
One sex toy-gifting incident allegedly included a creepy, detailed note describing the ways in which he wanted to use that toy on, again, a woman he worked with, who was literally just coming into work to do her dang job.
Matt Lauer was also accused of rape. According to the accusation, he used his creepy desk-based-door-locking-button to trap a woman in his office with him before bending her over and beginning the sexual assault.
He allegedly didn’t relent and unlock his door until she passed out.
Horrific.
As we alluded to earlier, Matt Lauer’s wife Annette Roque is officially divorcing him.
Since news of the scandal broke — and since she fled the country with her two younger sons — people have been waiting to see if she would divorce Matt Lauer and take everything.
For a while, though, it seemed that Matt and Annette were trying to play nice for the sake of their children. Given the weight of the accusations against Matt Lauer — accusations of so much more than just cheating — that attempt was doomed from the get-go.
We imagine that their divorce process will be complicated and may grow contentious — these things always do. Especially when it comes down to money, division of property, and custody decisions.
(In other words, everything that matters in a divorce)
The ratings news is fantastic.
It’s especially good because the Winter Olympics are just about to begin.
For years, people have associated the Olympics with Lauer because he covered the event every time.
From recent accusations, the world has now heard how he used these NBC trips as a sort of hunting ground to invite or lure young, ambitious NBC employees to his hotel room.
It will be hard for some people to not notice Matt Lauer’s absence. That can lead to some awkward discussions.
So it’s wonderful to hear that Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie are doing Lauer’s Today job better than he has in years.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Hoda Kotb Named "Today" Co-Anchor, Replacing Matt Lauer
Hoda Kotb’s slipping into Matt Lauer’s old chair after being named the “Today” show co-anchor. NBC made it official Tuesday morning … and Hoda and her new partner, Savannah Guthrie, breathlessly announced it at the top of the show. Back on Nov.…
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Matt Lauer Surfaces in Hamptons After "Today" Show Firing
Matt Lauer is out and about running errands on his second day of unemployment … and, outwardly at least, doesn’t seem too despaired over his firing. Lauer surfaced Thursday for the first time since getting canned from NBC’s “Today” show. He…
Matt Lauer Had Free Reign Because "Today" Sets Its Own Rules
Matt Lauer was able to get away with a lot at the “Today” show for decades… because the show made its own rules, and routinely ignored its bosses at the network. Sources connected to both “Today” and NBC tell TMZ, a number of NBC News…
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Matt Lauer"s Alma Mater Ohio University Keeping "Today" Show Internship
Matt Lauer was an integral part in developing an exclusive NBC journalism internship for Ohio University students, and despite the news of his firing over sexual misconduct, it’s going to stay active … TMZ has learned. A spokesperson for Ohio U.…
"Today" Show Host Hoda Kotb Says She Still Loves Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer is gone from “Today,” but at least one of his old co-workers still has love for him. We got Hoda Kotb leaving NBC headquarters in NYC Wednesday after she went on the air to fill in for Matt, who was fired for alleged…
Matt Lauer Mostly Scrubbed from "Today" Show Social Media After Firing
Matt Lauer, formerly the face of NBC, is already a ghost as far as the network’s online presence is concerned. Lauer’s been replaced on the “Today” cover photos for the show’s social media — specifically Facebook and Twitter. They used to feature…
Monday, October 30, 2017
Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa Talk Kidney Transplant on "Today"
Selena Gomez’s best friend, Francia Raisa, didn’t know if she’d survive donating a kidney to her BFF … which really hit home when she had to write a will. “Did you ever fear for your own health?” -@savannahguthrie“I had to…
Monday, October 10, 2016
Billy Bush: Being Forced Out of Today?
Not here today.
Definitely gone tomorrow?
As previously reported, Billy Bush has been temporarily suspended from his job as co-host of the third hour of The Today Show.
This decision was reportedly made on Sunday by Noah Oppenheim, the executive in charge of the NBC morning show, who wrote the following:
“I know we’ve all been deeply troubled by the revelations of the past 48 hours.
“Let me be clear – there is simply no excuse for Billy’s language and behavior on that tape. NBC has decided to suspend Billy, pending further review of this matter.”
The tape in question, of course, is footage from 2005 that was obtained and released online last Friday by The Washington Post.
It features Donald Trump and Bush aboard an Access Hollywood bus, unaware they are wearing live microphones, on their way to the set of Days of Our Lives.
As they approach actress Arianne Zucker, Bush is heard on the tape saying this to Trump:
“Sheesh, your girl’s hot as sh-t. In the purple.”
Bush then adds:
“Yes! The Donald has scored.”
Bush’s comments came on the heels of Trump telling him that a “star” is permitted to do anything with a woman, such as “grab” them by the “pussy.”
It’s all very disgusting and gross and just… lame. Who talks like either of the idiots on THIS TAPE?
In light of the scandal, sources tell People Magazine that Bush may never return to his post at The Today Show.
According to the insider, Bush “hasn’t really endeared himself to the rest of the cast and crew… so they’re fine with him leaving, if that’s what the decision is.”
Bush had another embarrassing incident this summer when he defended Ryan Lochte, despite the swimmer very clearly having lied about getting robbed at gunpoint in Brazil.
“Ever since Lochte, a lot of people have thought that he was a liability anyway,” says the People insider of Bush, expounding:
“Tamron [Hall] doesn’t like him and they have always been uncomfortable around each other. Al [Roker] doesn’t speak to him, like at all. There is no love lost there.
“Matt [Lauer] is okay with him, not friends, but okay. He doesn’t have much of a relationship with Savannah [Guthrie]. So it won’t be a loss to any of them personally if he doesn’t come back.”
Early in today’s broadcast of the morning program, Savannah Guthrie addressed the awkward situation on set.
“We want to note one other thing. Pending further review of the matter, NBC News has suspended Billy Bush as the host of Today’s third hour for his role in that conversation with Donald Trump,” she said on air.
The question facing producers now is whether or not Bush can ever be seen again as professional, or as a neutral journalist.
It’s unclear how that can possibly be the case.
“The network and producers are going to have to decide if he’s such a liability that they have to take stronger action,” says the source. “Does anyone tune in to Today to watch Billy? Probably not really. So if he leaves, it’s not a big deal.”
Seriously, Mario Lopez is just sitting at home, Today, waiting for your call.
Not long after the scandalous video hit the Internet last week, Bush released an apology that reads as follows:
“Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed. It’s no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago – I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I’m very sorry.”
That’s all he could really say, given the situation.
But will it be too little, too late?
Billy Bush Suspension -- The Show Goes On for "Today" Co-Hosts (VIDEO)
Billy Bush’s co-workers had the awkward duty of explaining his absence to the “Today” audience on day 1 of his suspension for the Donald Trump tape. Bush’s suspension was addressed twice … first by Savannah Guthrie at the top of the show — and…
Billy Bush: Suspended from The Today Show
Billy Bush has been suspended from The Today Show for his role in the scandalous Donald Trump video that hit the Internet on Friday.
You know the video, right?
Come on: by now, you must know the video.
Released by The Washington Post on Friday afternoon, it featured Bush and Trump on board the Access Hollywood bus, making their way to the Days of Our Lives set.
Trump was set to film a cameo on the soap opera.
Wearing microphones they were unaware were recording, Bush and Trump got to talking about Bush’s then-co-host, Nancy O’Dell.
“I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married. I did try and f–k her. She was married,” Trump tells Bush, who laughs at Trump’s story.
The Presidential nominee later says of his philosophy when it comes to the opposite sex:
“Just kiss. I don’t even wait,” he bragged, noting that “when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
Here is a look at the lewd exchange:
Bush did not say much himself in the back-and-forth, but he clearly egged Trump on and acted impressed by The Donald’s sexual advances and endeavors.
In light of the scandal, Bush came out on Friday night and issued the following apology/statement:
“Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed. It’s no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago – I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along.
“I’m very sorry.”
Bush is married with three kids.
“Sheesh, your girl’s hot as sh-t. In the purple,” the former Access Hollywood anchor said in the video as the two men got ready to meet Days of Our Lives actress Arianne Zucker.
“Yes! The Donald has scored,” he added.
The crux of the focus of this scandal, of course, has been on Trump.
And for good reason, he is running to be President of the United States.
But The Today Show has been under pressure to act against Bush, with a petition circulating that has been calling for him to be fired.
There’s the issue of what he actually said to Trump.
But there’s also the issue that The Today Show is, in many ways, a news show.
And yet it failed to actually report on the news in this case. It has been employing an individual who was well aware of Trump’s heinous side, and yet never said a word about it.
So that brings us to the suspension.
In a note sent to show staffers, Noah Oppenheim, the executive in charge of the NBC morning show, wrote the following:
“I know we’ve all been deeply troubled by the revelations of the past 48 hours.
“Let me be clear – there is simply no excuse for Billy’s language and behavior on that tape. NBC has decided to suspend Billy, pending further review of this matter.”
Bush is the nephew of former President George H.W. Bush,.
He also involved in Ryan Lochte’s Rio scandal earlier this summer after he defended the Olympic medalist’s robbery claims, constantly insisting that Lochte wasn’t lying.
Even though he clearly was lying.
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