When you're on TV almost every day, you're bound to have occasional, and very televised,
problems.
Numerous morning TV personalities have become entangled in some pretty big messes over the
years.
"You don't have any product?"
"Well, please don't touch me ever again."
From backstabbing memos to on-air fights, here are some major scandals that have plagued
morning TV.
Billy Bush's lewd comments
Today show anchor Billy Bush was suspended in October 2016 following the leak of a video
from behind-the-scenes of a 2005 episode of Access Hollywood.
The video, which since became infamous for its impact on the 2016 presidential election,
Bush and Republican candidate Donald Trump describe making lewd and unwanted sexual advances
towards women, including host Nancy O'Dell.
"You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them.
It's like a magnet.
Just kiss.
I don't even wait.
And when you're a star they let you do it.
You can do anything."
"Whatever you want."
They also discussed the appearances of Days of our Lives actress Arianne Zucker, who gave
Bush and Trump a tour of the soap opera set.
In the video, Bush encourages Zucker to hug Trump and continues to make rude remarks about
the actress.
When the video first leaked, Bush released a statement to Page Six, saying,
"Obviously I'm embarrassed and ashamed.
It's no excuse, but this happened 11 years ago — I was younger, less mature and acted
foolishly in playing along.
I'm very sorry."
In a memo to Today staffers sent two days after the video leaked, executive producer
Noah Oppenheim wrote,
"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 was absent from the show in the following days.
"As you can see Billy Bush not joining us today—as you're probably aware, part of
that 2005 Access Hollywood taping with Donald Trump that's been in the news all weekend."
"NBC, which owns Access Hollywood, has suspended Billy for his role in that conversation, pending
further review."
Meanwhile, one insider reportedly told CNN, "He will never be on the show again."
Kelly Ripa vs. Michael Strahan
In April 2016, Michael Strahan shocked audiences when he announced he was leaving Live!
with Kelly and Michael to join Good Morning America in the fall.
Apparently, no one was more shocked than Strahan's co-host, Kelly Ripa, who reportedly received
the news just as the press release was being sent out.
Amid a sea of rumors about the show's future, Ripa skipped work the next day, leaving Strahan
to address his high-profile exit without her.
TMZ followed up with a report that Ripa's return to Live!
came only after "tough talks" with Disney.
Ripa addressed the scandal on her first day back.
"So what transpired though over the course of a few days has been extraordinary, in the
sense that it started a much-greater conversation about communication, and consideration, and
most importantly respect."
As more and more rumors surfaced about co-hosts' tense relationship, Disney announced that
Strahan would leave the show four months earlier than planned.
Ripa seemingly confirmed things were not cool between her and Strahan in a number of on-air
jabs directed at Strahan.
"I want to take him into contract negotiations with me."
Kelly Ripa vs. Regis Philbin
Ripa's anger over Strahan's exit may have been partially fueled by a case of deja vu.
Ripa's former co-host, Regis Philbin, pulled a similar stunt by telling Ripa he was retiring
just 15 minutes before he made the announcement on air.
At the time, Ripa was reportedly "blindsided" by the news, the same word used to describe
her reaction to Strahan's departure.
However, in that case, sources said that Ripa wasn't actually angry.
Matt Lauer vs. Ann Curry
On June 28, 2012, Ann Curry bid a tearful goodbye to the Today show after co-anchoring
the morning news program for barely a year, capping off a disastrous year of behind-the-scenes
drama at Today.
The ordeal was covered in a shocking 2013 cover story by New York Magazine, which put
some of the blame for Curry's departure on her co-anchor, Matt Lauer, who reportedly
did not like Curry and failed to protect her during contract renegotiations.
Their tense relationship played out disastrously on camera, both during Curry's farewell speech
and when the two reunited for a segment at the Olympic Games in London.
Whether directly related to the scandal or not, Today's ratings quickly began to erode,
and by August 2012, Good Morning America, topped NBC's juggernaut morning program for
the first time in about 17 years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Today has been playing catch-up ever since...which is not to say that Good Morning America hasn't
made its mistakes.
Josh Elliott's misfire
When Good Morning America overtook Today in 2012, host Josh Elliott became a rising star...for
about two years.
He was out at ABC after what The Hollywood Reporter described as a "messy" exit.
According to the report, Elliott was demanding $10 million annually to stay; ABC offered
$5 million.
Meanwhile, Page Six also reported that Elliott immediately wanted George Stephanopoulos'
job as co-lead anchor...none of which happened.
Amid the drama, it was announced he'd be leaving ABC to join NBC Sports, where again he lasted
less than two years.
Elliott and NBC mutually agreed to part ways after the network couldn't find a proper role
for him, and according to sources, he was "being paid $5 million a year to do basically
nothing."
In March 2016, Page Six reported that Elliott would become lead anchor for CBSN, CBS News'
digital streaming news network, which is either a huge promotion... or a huge demotion, depending
on which side of the technology debate you're on.
Rosie O'Donnell vs. Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Of the many on-air and behind-the-scenes controversies on The View, none will ever top the epic on-air
fight between Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck on May 23, 2007.
Their debate over U.S. military involvement in Iraq grew so heated that O'Donnell quit
the show after that episode aired.
"Do not….do not call me a coward."
Less than a year later, O'Donnell told People magazine that she and Hasselbeck had buried
the hatchet.
But in 2014, Hasselbeck brought it all back up via an Instagram post, noting that she
still considered O'Donnell's stance indefensible.
Her worst offense?
Using the word "momversation."
Bryant Gumbel vs. Willard Scott
In 1989, a scathing memo written by Today show anchor Bryant Gumbel criticizing much
of the show's on-air talent leaked to the press, putting the program at the center of
a media firestorm.
The press paid special attention to Gumbel's comments about weatherman Willard Scott, which
said
"[Scott is holding] the show hostage to his assortment of whims, wishes, birthdays and
bad taste.
He can't leave this job and couldn't get a better one."
The memo reportedly caused a rift between Gumbel and Scott behind the scenes, which
Scott confirmed in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, saying,
"It was horrible.
I didn't go out for a couple of months.
I didn't go to church.
I didn't mingle in crowds.
I got sick of hearing, 'How's Bryant?'
It really was driving me crazy.
I'm sure it drove him crazy, too.
Unfortunately, he was the one who started it."
Scott semi-retired in 1996.
He continued to announce birthday wishes on Today until his official retirement in 2015.
Gumbel, meanwhile, had left in 1997.
Jane Pauley vs. Deborah Norville
Months after Gumbel's memo leaked, the Today show battled more bad press amid rumors that
its anchor of 13 years, Jane Pauley, was about to be ousted by the younger, blonder Deborah
Norville.
According to People, the rumors started in September of 1989, after Norville replaced
news anchor John Palmer and began sitting at the main desk alongside Pauley and Gumbel.
Months later, Pauley confirmed she was, in fact, leaving after 13 years on the show.
Her final morning on Today was a tearful broadcast on Dec. 23, 1989.
Plagued by tabloid scandals and unpopularity over Pauley's ousting, Norville left Today
in April 1991 after just 14 months on the job.
She was replaced by Katie Couric.
Incidentally, both Pauley and Norville went on to bigger and even more lucrative careers:
Pauley became the host of Dateline and newest host of CBS Sunday Morning, and Norville was
the host of Inside Edition.
Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos like the one you just saw.
And leave us a comment to let us know which morning TV scandals you think were the worst...