EXCLUSIVE: Billy Bush Bashes Happy Al Roker — Short-Lived 'Today' Host Brands Colleague Mean and Toxic
Billy Bush has claimed Al Roker was mean and toxic during his short-lived run on 'Today.'
July 7 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Short-lived Today host Billy Bush is blasting the show's beloved weatherman, Al Roker, RadarOnline.com can reveal. In a vicious rant, he ripped Rocker as toxic, mean and the worst interviewer on TV.
Bush, 54, claimed Roker, 71, was "territorial, vindictive and chronically unprepared" when the two appeared together on Today's third hour.
Bush Unloads on Roker
Billy Bush claimed Al Roker was passive-aggressive toward him after he joined the 'Today' show in 2016.
"People don't know how mean he is. He's mean, he's mean, he's a mean person," said Bush. "He doesn't share the air. He sees somebody doing well on the Today show and immediately it's, 'Take them down.'"
Bush claimed Roker was passive-aggressive toward him when he joined the morning news program in August 2016.
"There's something about me in particular, forever, that was, [he] likes me but fears me, didn't want me anywhere near," said Bush. "When I got there, a younger guy with a full head of hair, who the women on the staff genuinely liked a lot – that was infuriating to him."
Even worse, Roker liked negative social media posts about him, including one that described Bush – who's a first cousin of former President George W. Bush – as "a whitesplaining racist," according to Bush.
Bush Torches Roker Again
According to Bush, an NBC executive planned to remove Roker from the 'Today' show in 2017.
"I'm the new guy and this dude's liking tweets from people that are calling me things that are career-ending and awful and not f--king true!" Bush says.
He also called Roker "the worst interviewer on television" and claimed the weather anchor – who's been a Today fixture since 1997 – was on the chopping block when he rejoined the show.
According to Bush, an NBC exec told him to hang on until March 2017, when bosses planned to "unload" the "toxic" Roker and "get him out of this deal."
But Bush didn't last that long.
Firing Deepened Today Show Feud
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Matt Lauer and Roker were claimed by Bush to have welcomed his departure from the 'Today' show after the Donald Trump tape surfaced.
NBC honchos booted him in October 2016 when he was heard on a 2005 tape with Donald Trump making a crude joke about women.
Bush claimed both Roker and former anchor Matt Lauer – who was axed in 2017 over sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied – were happy to see him go.
"When I got sacked and sent out of there, all the women were destroyed," Bush insisted, "and the men, which is Al and Matt ... they were, 'Get him out of here.'"
