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Billy Bush is joining Fox News as a contributor nearly 10 years after an Access Hollywood recording with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump cost him his job at Today.
Bush debuted on September 29 on Jesse Watters Primetime and appear across Fox platforms, offering commentary on entertainment, politics and culture.
What Fox Gains From Billy Bush
“Billy Bush joining Fox News is one of the most strategically layered comeback narratives in recent media history,” said Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.
Bush spent two decades covering entertainment through Access Hollywood and Extra, along with awards shows, the Olympics and Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s wedding.
“That is institutional entertainment knowledge that Fox’s audience does not currently have access to in a Fox voice,” Philip noted.
As nephew of President George H.W. Bush and cousin of President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, he also bridges entertainment and politics.
“He is a connector between two worlds Fox wants to own simultaneously,” Philip explained.
Turning the Scandal Into a Backstory
“He is positioning himself as someone who lived through a defining cultural moment and has something to say about where we are now,” Philip said. “That framing converts a liability into a credential.”
The 2005 recording, which was leaked one month before the 2016 presidential election, captured Trump making vulgar comments about women while Bush laughed. Bush lost his NBC position, while Trump won that year’s presidential election.
“Bush lost his job, but the recording had little impact on President Trump,” said Evan Nierman, founder and CEO of crisis PR firm Red Banyan and author of The Cancel Culture Curse. “It is hard to imagine that Bush would be summarily fired today for what was deemed a serious matter at that time.”
Nierman noted the new job has been “a long time coming” for Bush.
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“It is not like he is emerging from hiding or total obscurity,” he said, pointing to Bush’s five seasons on Extra and his podcast, “Hot Mics With Billy Bush.”
“Ten years of penance for Billy Bush is being rewarded with a prime role,” he added, “and is proof positive that time heals all wounds and that career comebacks are still possible.”
Airtime Is Not Forgiveness
“For Bush, the test is whether he can become interesting for something other than what happened to him,” said Mark Borkowski, founder of Borkowski PR.
“A durable comeback gives people a new reason to watch, not simply another opportunity to argue about the old persona,” he explained.
“The mistake is to confuse getting another platform with winning back trust. A broadcaster can give you airtime; it cannot provide a clear route to public forgiveness,” he added. “In this mad fragmented media market, however, Billy may not need everyone’s forgiveness.”
