May 17--"Access Hollywood" cohost Billy Bush is heading east to join NBC's "Today."
Bush will join the 9 a.m. hour of the program. The long-rumored move was announced to staffers Tuesday in an email from Noah Oppenheim, senior vice president and executive in charge of "Today."
"Billy has been a part of the 'Today' extended family for quite some time -- he brings boundless energy, a great interviewing style and a deep knowledge of pop culture," he wrote.
Oppenheim said Bush will start appearing on "Today" in August during the morning program's coverage of the Summer Olympics in Rio.
NBC News has already announced that Natalie Morales is replacing Bush as cohost "Access Hollywood," the entertainment news magazine syndicated by NBCUniversal, and "Access Live" which airs on TV stations owned by the company .
Morales, the news anchor on "Today" since 2006 and a member of the 9 a.m. team since 2010, is heading to Los Angeles to become the morning program's West Coast anchor in addition to her duties on "Access."
Bush's cohosts on the 9 a.m. hour may change at some point. As of Tuesday's announcement, the lineup includes Tamron Hall, Al Roker and Willie Geist, who recently took over as the sole anchor of the Sunday edition of "Today."
The third hour of "Today" is breezier and more conversational than the first two hours, with an emphasis on pop culture and entertainment topics.
Bush, who started out in radio, joined "Access Hollywood" as an East Coast correspondent in 2001. He took over as cohost in 2004. He also has served as master of ceremonies for the Miss Universe pageant.
Bush is the nephew of former President George H.W. Bush.
