Morning TV Wars! Matt Lauer & Billy Bush Face Off Over 'TODAY' Show Spot
May 6 2016, Published 10:12 a.m. ET
Billy Bush is leaving Access Hollywood to join The Today Show, but he shouldn't expect a warm welcome, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
People at TODAY think "Billy is loud and obnoxious and thinks he is the next Ryan Seacrest," a source told Radar. "Matt Lauer is very much against hiring him and has already banned him from the show's most watched hours: from 7 to 9 a.m. Matt hosts these hours before getting in his car at 9:01. That is when Billy will take over."
Insiders also claim that Bush is notorious for being a control freak on the set of Access, which he's co-anchored since 2004.
"The problem with Billy is that he doesn't play nice with other hosts. He runs Access Hollywood and decides everything from the stories they do to which celebrities they suck up to," the source told Radar.
"That will NOT be the case at the TODAY Show. He will be one of many hosts and he will be way behind Matt, Savannah, Al Roker and even Kathie Lee and Hoda, the insider continued. "He needs to come in and make friends before he tries to take over."
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Even his own family members aren't happy about his transition, the source said, including his second cousin, TODAY correspondent Jenna Bush Hager!
"How many Bushes are they going to hire to host this show?" asked a family friend. "Jenna is pi**ed that he is joining. He has a reputation of clashing with women and it is no secret Nancy O'Dell left Access to join ET because of the boys club Billy was the head of."
Do you think Billy will be a good addition to TODAY? Let us know in the comments!