Don Lemon to his friend Matt Lauer’s back after the old Today the show’s host was forced to leave his high-profile post in 2017.
During his appearance on the Wednesday, Jan. 22 episode of “Hollywood Raw Podcast With Dax Holt and Adam Glyn,” Lemon, 58, said he thinks Lauer, 67, could make a successful comeback — potentially on a podcast.
“I think if he could go back to digital, he could carve his own path,” he explained, before adding: “But I didn’t know Matt until after, you know, the whole situation occurred.”
The former CNN host said he has seen Lauer receive positive comments from fans during public interactions.
Matt Lauer is ‘planning a comeback’ years after being fired from NBC amid sexual misconduct allegations. “He started talking to people,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively of the morning show host. “He is planning his next act, still very upset by the way he was portrayed, and still feels like he was the (…)
“Every time I see Matt out or, you know, even with us, if we go out to dinner, my husband (Tim Malone) goes out to dinner with him and his fiancée and people love him. Women love him. They’re like, “Man, oh my God, can I have a picture?” I love you. I miss you on TV. Right?” he recalls. “And so, I think the audience loves him. The audience misses him, but it’s just the… it’s the people within the company who are afraid.
He added: “There may be a way for him to come back, but I think it’s more people within the company who are worried, you know, about what happened with Matt.”
Matt Lauer.
(Photo by Getty)Lemon said he thought if it was up to the public rather than the networks and executives, Lauer would have a chance to return to the public eye.
“I think the audience…I’ll put it this way. I think the general public would accept – just me – accept Matt’s return. And I think people would watch it and I think the ratings would be great.
This is not the first time suggestions of a return to the industry have been put forward. Rumors of a Lauer return became stronger in April 2024 when a source said Us every week exclusively that the anchor was “planning a comeback” years after being fired from NBC amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Matt Lauer was the face of NBC before he left and virtually disappeared in disgrace. Once one of America’s most recognized and highest-paid television journalists, “he feels the media can’t be trusted,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly. “He was a guy who spent his whole life caring for people professionally; his work was (…)
“He started talking to people,” the insider shared with Us at the time. “He’s planning his next act, still very upset by the way he’s been portrayed, and still feels like he’s the victim.”
Among a slew of other high-profile men involved in the #MeToo movement, former Today The host made headlines in November 2017 after a colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior. He was ultimately fired the same month following these allegations. In 2019, journalist Ronan Farrow published details of the alleged assault in his book Catch and Kill. Lauer has denied all accusations against him.
