Billy Bush is reportedly being courted by Breitbart News. (Reuters)
Billy Bush could be going from radioactive to hot again after President-elect Donald Trump’s surprise upset on Election Day.
A source tells the New York Post that Breitbart News — the conservative Web site that’s headed by Trump’s top adviser Steve Bannon — is interested in luring Bush for its coverage of Hollywood.
“They are trying to recruit Billy Bush,” said a media insider of Breitbart. “They want to expand covering Hollywood in a big way — and think Billy would be perfect for the job.”
As part of his settlement, Bush is not under any “noncompete clause,” so he can go to a “Today” competitor. But while Breitbart currently includes its Big Hollywood blog about the entertainment industry, it lacks a TV network. With Trump’s victory, Bush could be embraced by alt-conservatives, although he’s likely still toxic to traditional Hollywood liberal outlets so soon after the election.
Either way, “Billy’s ego is big,” said a media insider. “He likes to be a TV star, and would want to go to a rival like ABC or CBS.” (Since his firing, the only gig that’s even been rumored for Bush was an appearance on “Dancing With the Stars,” which sources shot down.)
Bush was last month ignominiously axed from NBC’s “Today” after the 2005 video from his former show, “Access Hollywood,” surfaced in which he and Trump were caught in crude conversation.
In the wake of the scandal, Bush was suspended and then canned from his then-just-landed “Today” dream job, but walked away with a reported $10 million.
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