'They Made the Wrong Choice When I Left the Door,' Tamron Hall Talks Her 'Today' Exit

Three years after leaving NBC, Tamron Hall opened up about her departure and how she knew the executives made the wrong choice by replacing her with the controversial Megyn Kelly.

Tamron Hall left NBC in early 2017 after the network revealed their plans to substitute hers and Al Roker’s time slot on “TODAY” with then-newly hired Megyn Kelly, who had left FOX News with the promise of two NBC news programs.

However, the audience received Kelly's show with criticism from the beginning, and by October 2018, NBC canceled it after Kelly’s controversial remarks about the use of blackface as part of Halloween costumes.

THE WRONG CHOICE FOR NBC

Hall recently attended the ABC’s Television Critics Association summer tour — where she took part in a panel to promote her upcoming talk show with the network — and one of the questions she received was whether the failure of Megyn Kelly’s “TODAY” show somehow gave her a sense of revindication.

“Megyn’s success or not, I already knew they made the wrong choice when I left the door,” Hall said. “I would never measure myself against her success or perceived lack thereof. Whether that show made it or not, I knew I was making the right decision for me.”

Although Hall admitted that being replaced after working at the network for a decade felt “like a punch in the gut,” she couldn’t be happier with how things turned out for her after leaving.

"I didn't know what could come after leaving that situation,” she said. “I'm glad and fortunate this is the end result.”

THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR TAMRON HALL

Hall’s departure from NBC gave her the chance to dedicate more time to her personal life. She married music executive Steven Greener and welcomed her first child, baby Moses, in April 2019.

“My story is not one I could’ve ever expected,” the TV host told People. “Two and a half years ago when I walked out of that NBC building, I was in a fog, not knowing that so many of us lose things we think are important, and we have no idea that something better is right there.”

Now, Hall’s talk show will premiere on September 9. She’s teaming up with "The View" co-creator Bill Geddie, and Talia Parkinson-Jones, a 10-year veteran of "The Wendy Williams Show.”

Talking about the direction the show will take, Hall mentioned going back to the roots of the talk-show format, citing Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue, and Mike Douglas as examples.

The show will have a mix of celebrity-related stories and regular guests, as they look forward to shedding light on human interest stories about victims rights, crimes, prison reform and many other topics of interest.

“It’s a traditional daytime talk,” said Hall. “Talk doesn't go out of style. If we rip off the masks, we can keep it real.”