Natalie Morales might be leaving Today because of a feud with Tamron Hall. According to Yahoo! News , Morales and Hall have not been getting along, apparently locked in some sort of “ power struggle .” Morales has been wanting to move up the ladder on the Today show, but has been having a hard time doing so, and it appears as though Hall is the latest woman in the way.
This all started back in 2012 when Ann Curry left the program. While many thought that Morales would take the co-anchor seat, Savannah Guthrie was hired to fill Curry’s shoes. Now there is another spot opening up, and while many think Morales should get it, Tamron Hall is reportedly being groomed for the position.
Natalie Morales might leave Today if Hall gets the new gig. According to the New York Post , Morales doesn’t have too much hope for her future on the show. Her people are reportedly looking into other options for her, and sources say that she may be looking into having her own talk show a la Katie Couric. With two years left on her contract, however, a move won’t be coming very soon.
“There’s a lot of tension. Natalie and Tamron are competitive, and there was a big blowup in October between the two. Deborah has an issue with Natalie and has sided with Tamron. There has been zero communication between Deborah [Turness, NBC News President] and Natalie for a long period of time. It’s the talk of NBC staff,” a source told Page Six .
Executive producer Don Nash counters the chatter, saying that everything is more than fine, and that Morales knows that she is “valued.”
“This is total nonsense. As the ‘Today’ show continues to gain momentum, it sounds like someone is trying to stir up trouble that doesn’t exist. Natalie Morales is valued by everyone at the news division from the top down, and her future is with the ‘Today’ show and NBC News.”
Despite rumors that Matt Lauer would be leaving the program , the Inquisitr previously reported that he signed a deal for “multiple years” just this past summer. Of course, a lot of people have problems with Lauer because of his issues with Ann Curry, but apparently the network is willing to keep him on board.
Ratings on the Today show are a bit better than they were in 2012, but a lot of people still prefer Good Morning America . What is your preference? And do you think Natalie Morales should leave Today ?
[Photo courtesy of Joe Scarnici/NBC]