CrosswordNewsletters
DAILY BEAST
ALL
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
  • Travel
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Fever Dreams
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Right Richter
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDBs Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      FOOD & BEVERAGE
        CULTURE
        • Power Trip
        • Fashion
        • Books
        • Royalist
        TECH
        • Disinformation
        SCOUTED
        • Clothing
        • Technology
        • Beauty
        • Home
        • Pets
        • Kitchen
        • Fitness
        • I'm Looking For
        BEST PICKS
        • Best VPNs
        • Best Gaming PCs
        • Best Air Fryers
        COUPONS
        • Vistaprint Coupons
        • Ulta Coupons
        • Office Depot Coupons
        • Adidas Promo Codes
        • Walmart Promo Codes
        • H&M Coupons
        • Spanx Promo Codes
        • StubHub Promo Codes
        Products
        NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
        FOLLOW US
        GOT A TIP?

        SEARCH

        HOMEPAGE
        T.V.

        Natalie Morales Fired As Host of NBC’s ‘Access Hollywood,’ Replaced by Mario Lopez

        OVER

        Move follows months of rumors that Lopez was set for the flagship role.

        Tom Sykes

        Royalist Correspondent

        Published Mar. 20, 2019 7:39AM ET 

        Mike Windle

        After months of rumors, it is being reported that Natalie Morales has been whacked as the host of NBC’s flagship entertainment show, Access Hollywood, and will be replaced by Mario Lopez.

        Morales will be following veteran executive producer Rob Silverstein out the door. Silverstein announced his departure, with immediate effect, on Tuesday.

        Dailymail.com, citing sources at the show and the network, says that although Morales will stay on as as Today’s West Coast Anchor for NBC, she is furious at being let go from Access, having relocated her family to the west coast to take on the job after Billy Bush moved to the Today show (he was shortly thereafter fired in the wake of the Trump, “Grab them by the pussy,” tapes).

        Morales’ departure was seen by some insiders as inevitable after the announcement on Tuesday that Silverstein, who has worked on the Access brand for some 20 years, was leaving. In a memo to his colleagues announcing his departure quoted by Variety, Silverstein said that his “vision of the show moving forward differs from the management team.”

        Access Hollywood still attracts a respectable two million viewers but the show is fighting to stay relevant in the era of mobile internet, and the change in personnel is a clear attempt by NBC to breathe new life into their flagship showbiz property.

        DailyMail.com quoted an NBC source as saying, “We are planning on blowing up the current format of the show and making Mario the star.”

        However, staffers at the show did not appear ready to welcome the new arrival with open arms.

        One source told Dailymail.com, “Everyone is pissed as he is a giant cheese ball who is allergic to hard work. He’s not the face of the show we want…We’ve watched Mario kissing the asses of certain NBC execs for the past year to convince them to make him a huge deal at NBC. It's clearly paid off. But boy, he must have really chapped lips.”

        Rumors have been circulating since Christmas that Lopez was being lined up for the role after NBC executives flew him to New York to host the annual Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting.

        READ THIS LIST

        DAILY BEAST
        • Cheat Sheet
        • Politics
        • Crime
        • Entertainment
        • Media
        • World
        • Innovation
        • U.S. News
        • Scouted
        • Travel
        • Subscription
        • Crossword
        • Newsletters
        • Podcasts
        • About
        • Contact
        • Tips
        • Jobs
        • Advertise
        • Help
        • Privacy
        • Code of Ethics & Standards
        • Diversity
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Copyright & Trademark
        • Sitemap
        • Best Picks
        • Coupons:
        • Coupons:
        • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
        • HP Coupon Codes
        • Chewy Promo Codes
        • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
        • NordVPN Coupons
        • JCPenny Coupons
        • Nordstrom Coupons
        • Samsung Promo Coupons
        • Home Depot Coupons
        • Hotwire Promo Codes
        • eBay Coupons
        • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
        © 2022 The Daily Beast Company LLC