Billy Bush Begins Again

Nearly three years after a bombshell tape almost ended his career, the veteran TV host has a new show—and a new outlook on life

- Aili Nahas

Billy Bush is excited. He gestures animatedly, frequently jumping up from his seat as he describes his new venture, as the host and producer of Extra Extra, a revitalized entertainment news show that will replace the syndicated program Extra. “I’m ready for this,” says the veteran anchor. “This is the next step.”

It was just more than two years ago when the former Access Hollywood anchor, beloved for his lighthearted approach to interviews, was in the depths of despair after an old tape (filmed in 2005), in which Bush laughed as then Apprentice host Donald Trump made lewd comments and bragged about groping women, was leaked. Bush promptly lost his job as Today show cohost and struggled to come to terms with his upended life. “I fell completely apart,” Bush admits. “But a good wallop on the side of the head changes you, and I’m a better version of the man I was.”