Report: Natalie Morales could be next to leave ‘Today’ after Ann Curry

Now that Ann Curry’s departure from The Today Show as co-anchor is all but confirmed, it is now being rumored that Natalie Morales could be the next person to leave.

A source for The New York Post said on Wednesday that Morales is fed up with getting passed over and will leave if she doesn’t get the job to replace Curry.

“If Natalie’s passed over for the job, she’s going to leave next,” the source told the paper.

Morales has been at Today for six years and took over at the news desk for Curry when Curry replaced Meredith Vieira last year. She also co-hosts the 9am hour of Today with Savannah Guthrie, who is reportedly the favorite to replace Curry.

Morales was one of the candidates to take over for Vieira and reportedly doesn’t want to get passed over for a second time. “This will be the second time [Natalie] has been passed over for the top job. And she’s not happy,” the Post’s source added.

However, an NBC News source refutes that, saying that reports that Morales is unhappy are untrue. “Natalie couldn’t be happier in her current role,” another source said.

Meanwhile, a new report from The Hollywood Reporter suggests that Curry has been offered to take a “substantial” role at NBC News. Sources for THR say that Guthrie has officially been offered the position.

There were also reports Tuesday that Hoda Kotb, who co-hosts the fourth hour of Today with Kathie Lee Gifford, was in the running for Curry’s job and that there were talks with Regis Philbin about him replacing Kotb. However, Philbin, 81, told the Post that he would be hadn’t heard anything about that and was apprehensive about working five days a week again.

NBC and Curry still haven’t made an official statement on her departure, although one is expected to come before the end of the week. The Post reports that it could be as soon as today.

image: NBC