Natalie Morales to Host Access H'wood, Serve as Today's West Coast Anchor
Kelly and Michael aren’t the only ones stirring things up in daytime.
Natalie Morales is headed west — to take over hosting duties at Access Hollywood and Access Hollywood Live, and transition to the role of Today‘s West Coast anchor, according to our sister site Deadline.
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Deadline quoted a memo from Today’s senior vice president Noah Oppenheim, which mentioned Morales’ recent stints reporting live from the Oscars, Golden Globes and Latin American Music Awards and conducting celebrity interviews as impetus for the title change. “With our show’s increasing focus on West Coast stories, it became clear to me that having a permanent anchor presence in L.A. would be of enormous value,” he added of Morales’ new Today title.
Oppenheim went on to add that “when NBCU Domestic TV Distribution heard that a talent of Natalie’s caliber and entertainment experience might soon be L.A.-based, they immediately jumped at the opportunity to have her host Access Hollywood and Access Hollywood Live.”
Morales’ move follows months of rumors about NBC’s desire to move current Access Hollywood anchor Billy Bush to Today‘s 9 am hour, and Morales’ co-worker Willie Geist’s recent jump to anchor a revamped edition of Sunday Today.
Do you like the idea of Morales at Access Hollywood and in a more Hollywood-centric role on Today? Sound off below!
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