Billy Bush calls former 'Today' cohost Al Roker 'rageful' and 'vindictive'

Billy Bush has some choice words for his former "Today" colleague Al Roker, and they aren't flattering.

During a June 12 appearance on "The Nerve" podcast, the TV presenter, 54, leveled several criticisms at Roker, the longtime "Today" weatherman, 71, describing him as "rageful."

"There's something about me in particular, forever, that was like [he] likes me but fears me, didn't want me anywhere near," Bush told host Maureen Callahan. "The way I describe Al is three words: territorial, vindictive and chronically unprepared."

Bush, who briefly served as a "Today" cohost in 2016, said the third hour of the NBC news show will never be successful because of Roker, whom he also called "totally unprepared."

"He's maybe the worst interviewer on television," he said.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Roker and the "Today" show for comment.

Billy Bush says Al Roker liked a post calling him a 'white-splaining racist'

Bush also accused Roker of liking a post on X (then Twitter) that described him as a "white-splaining racist" and said he made other disparaging claims.

"I was on the air with him every day. And so I'm like, 'Oh, my god, I'm here. I'm new. I'm the new guy. And this dude's liking tweets from people that are calling me things that are career-ending and awful," Bush recalled.

He said he felt unable to raise these issues with producers because of Roker's legacy at NBC, adding, "Al had been there forever, so he kind of, you know, he gets free run of the place for his many credentials and one of them being longevity.” Roker joined the "Today" show full-time in 1996.

"People don't know how mean he was. He's mean. He's mean. He's a mean person. When you say rageful and all that, it’s mean. There is rage in there. There's jealousy. And I talk about vindictiveness, but he's mean," he added.

Billy Bush says he was to lead 'Today' third hour before 'the Trump thing'

Bush said that when he joined the show, he felt a general vibe that he was unwanted, despite those in charge initially thinking he would be great for the show. He said the male "territorial talent," including Roker, did not want him there. "You could feel it on their skin. I could feel it in the room with them," he added.

Despite the alleged hostility, Roker said he was set to become the lead anchor for the third hour of the "Today" show before "the Trump thing [happened]," referencing the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape scandal involving President Donald Trump.

In October 2016, footage from a 2005 "Access Hollywood" recording surfaced in which Trump was heard making lewd comments about women while speaking with Bush, who laughed and egged on parts of the exchange. NBC News later suspended Bush and fired him from the "Today" show.

Since then, Bush has occasionally surfaced to apologize, including in a 2019 interview with People, in which he said, "We all have to be able to evolve as we grow."

"The guy that left the scene in 2016 was already a changed person (since 2005), but I had the opportunity to grow up a little bit. Facing adversity in some way is good. And I feel I’ll be better at my job than I ever was. This is my next step," he added.