Billy Bush Accuses Al Roker of Being ‘Territorial’ and ‘Mean’ on ‘Today’

Billy Bush seemingly did not have a good experience when he worked with Al Roker on the Today show a decade ago.

“There’s something about me in particular, forever, that was like [he] likes me but fears me, didn’t want me anywhere near,” Bush, 54, claimed of Roker, 71, during a recent appearance on The Nerve with Maureen Callahan. “The way I describe Al is three words: territorial, vindictive, and chronically unprepared.”

Bush joined Today in May 2016 as a cohost for the third hour to replace Willie Geist following his departure, hosting the slot alongside the beloved weather man. During that time, Bush claimed Roker was “totally unprepared,” which he further claimed did not mimic his personal and professional approach.

“I took it very seriously, I prepared for every guest. I knew everything, I was well researched. I would get into a rhythm and Al would get jealous,” he alleged. “He’s territorial.”

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Bush claimed that Roker would interject after he asked a guest multiple “questions in a row.” The journalist shared that he felt unwelcomed by Roker.

“There was this general feeling they don’t want you there,” he said. “When I got the gig, the bosses did the thing, they thought I was going to be great for the third hour. But the territorial talent, especially the men — Matt Lauer, Al Roker — definitely did not want me there. You could feel it on their skin. I could feel it in the room with them.”

At one point during his time there, Bush claimed that Roker was liking social media posts that described him as a “white-splaining racist.”

“I was on the air with him every day. And so I’m like, ‘Oh, my god, I’m here. I’m new. 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***ing true,’” he recalled.

Bush claimed that he brought up the issue to his producers but nothing was done since “Al had been there forever.”

“People don’t know how mean he was. He’s mean,” Bush said of Roker. “He’s mean. He’s a mean person. When you say rageful and all that, it’s mean. There is rage in there. There’s jealousy. And I talk about vindictiveness, but he’s mean.”

Us Weekly has reached out to Roker’s spokesperson for comment.

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Bush ultimately left Today in October 2016 after a video of the journalist having a lewd conversation with now-President Donald Trump in a hot mic moment during his time on Access Hollywood. In the clip, Bush was heard laughing with Trump, now 79, as he bragged about flirting with married women and touching women’s genitals without their consent. Bush immediately apologized for his actions following the scandal.

“Obviously, I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” Bush told Us in a statement immediately after the tape resurfaced. “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.”

Bush was suspended from Today and subsequently fired from the morning show.