INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Tamron Hall To Be Kelly Ripa’s Next ‘Live’ Co-Host? Network Executive Hopes So

By Heather Tooley
Published on: 01:44 PST, Feb 8, 2017

Will Tamron Hall be Kelly Ripa’s next Live co-host? The former NBC anchor of Today is reportedly being urged to team up with Ripa on Live With Kelly after her falling out with the network on the heels of Megyn Kelly’s hiring, who will replace Hall and her co-anchor, Al Roker, next fall in the 9 a.m. hour of Today.

Page Six reports that a network executive is encouraging Tamron Hall to consider a hosting gig alongside Kelly Ripa. The departure of Michael Strahan from Live has brought in a string of guest co-hosts for Ripa, but no one has been permanently named for the position.

Tamron Hall was spotted having lunch with Discovery’s Henry Schleiff at Michael’s, and the subject was about Hall’s next career move, a source reveals.

“He was encouraging her to join Kelly. He said, ‘Throw your hat in the ring! Lighten things up.'”

Creative Artist’s Agency co-founder, Bill Haber, also stopped by to greet Tamron Hall during the lunch.

Tamron still hosts Deadline Crime on Investigation Discovery. She hasn’t commented on the rumors about her joining Kelly Ripa on Live.

Tamron Hall and Al Roker were informed that their hour of Today would be canceled last week to make room for former Fox News star journalist, Megyn Kelly. A source told Daily Mail that the news emerged after it was learned they won the key demographic for their time slot against Live in the month of January. They also won the key demographic for eight consecutive weeks when the decision to ax their segment of Today was announced.

Hall chose to leave NBC following the shakeup and issued a brief statement.

“The last ten years have been beyond anything I could have imagined, and I’m grateful. I’m also very excited about the next chapter. To all my great colleagues, I will miss you and I will be rooting for you.”

Kelly Ripa shared on an episode of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live that there isn’t a set timeframe to come up with a new co-host. She said it was more important to test a lot of candidates out and see what works. Interest in the opportunity led to a long list of celebrity guests in spite of ABC trying to narrow it down. Tamron Hall may sit next to Kelly Ripa on Live as a guest and test the waters among viewers. Ripa has already said she’s open to sharing her spot with a female co-host.

Plans for Tamron Hall’s next career move are unknown at this point.

NBC was excoriated for its decision to cut Hall and Tamron from the 9 a.m. hour of Today by the National Association of Black Journalists, according to Hollywood Life. It called the move “whitewashing” by replacing the two talented co-hosts with Megyn Kelly.

“NBC has been a leader for diversity in broadcasting, but recent reports that Hall and Roker will be replaced by former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly are being seen by industry professionals as whitewashing,” the lengthy statement read in part.

The NABJ insisted that Hall and Roker should be “praised, not punished” for the high ratings they earned the network. NBC fired back in their own statement that the network “has a long and proven history as an industry leader in newsroom diversity.” They continued that they “will continue to engage in the running dialogue we’ve had for many years with the National Association of Black Journalists and other advocacy groups to advance those goals.”

It won’t be a surprise one morning if viewers see Tamron Hall join Kelly Ripa on Live. If and when that happens, rumors will swiftly fly that it could mean a permanent contract with ABC.

[Featured Image by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for for National CARES Mentoring Movement]

Share this article: Tamron Hall To Be Kelly Ripa’s Next ‘Live’ Co-Host? Network Executive Hopes So
kelly ripa
More from Inquisitr