Despite a report earlier this morning that Natalie Morales and Willie Geist were already fired from NBC’s embattled Today Show, NBC News president Deborah Turness said that the network if committed to the current anchor team. She said the rumors earlier today were completely false.
“NBC wants to be absolutely clear: The rumors are wrong — period,” Turness said in a statement to Variety and other news outlets. “This is the team we are committed to. And this is the team that our viewers turn to in the morning.”
As we previously reported, Us Weekly posted a report this morning claiming that both Morales and Geist have already been shown the door. The magazine even said that Morales was already in talks with ABC News, while Geist was heading to CBS News.
Later, TheWrap claimed that firing Geist, Morales and even Savannah Guthrie was just a plan executive Josh Horowitz had to help the show compete with ABC’s Good Morning America. However, this radical plan was actually what lead to Horowitz being fired, just two months after he was hired to oversee Today.
“NBC’s Today has the best anchor team in morning television,” Turness’ statement continued. “The entire Today show anchor team — Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, Willie Geist, Carson Daly, Tamron Hall, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb — are incredibly talented, valued and have our support.”
Geist, known for his sense of humor, tweeted about the Us Weekly report, confirming that both he and Morales are still NBC employees.
The Today Show has struggled against GMA since Ann Curry’s departure two years ago.
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