14 DAY TRIAL // Even though Ann Curry was gracious about her exit from The Today Show, there’s still a lot of talk about how it was Matt Lauer who got her fired before her contract expired, blaming her for the ratings dip. Staffers are now holding him responsible for that.
Radar Online has spoken to various inside sources who dish that the situation is growing very tense on the set of The Today Show.
Network bosses might be unaware of the situation, but no one really likes Matt – except, of course, for Matt himself.
Not only do staffers look at him when trying to find the culprit for Ann’s departure, but they also believe he is actually the reason why the show is hurting in the ratings.
“Staffers and producers at the TODAY show hold Matt Lauer responsible for the continued decline in the ratings because they hold him responsible for Ann Curry being fired,” says a spy.
If they had a say in this, they’d fire Lauer too and replace him with Lester Holt, who would be perfect for Curry, whom they’d also bring back on the show.
“The staff wants Ann to be brought back and want Matt replaced with Lester Holt, but they know the odds of this happening are slim to none, because executives at the network have no interaction whatsoever with the TODAY show staff,” the insider says.
“Lester, like Ann, is very respected by the staff and is always a true class act. If Lester had been in Matt’s shoes he never would have told the executive producer and honchos at NBC to fire Ann. Lester and Ann report the news, period, and don’t engage in backstabbing antics…” the spy goes on to say.
Curry was replaced by Savannah Guthrie shortly after her departure and, though the move has not translated into a boom in ratings (on the contrary, actually), Matt continues to stand by her.
“Matt believes that the audience just needs to get comfortable and familiar with Savannah and viewers will return to the show that had been counted on by the execs at NBC as ratings gold,” another source says.