Megyn Kelly morning show sets off Battle of the Kellys
NEW YORK — Megyn Kelly says she left Fox News Channel to bring more joy to her life. NBC hopes that starting Monday, she can spread some to the network and its viewers. The former Fox News Channel star and Donald Trump foil debuts her talk show nestled into the fourhour Today show block and competing with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest’s Live!
Kelly hosted a Sunday-night newsmagazine this summer to middling ratings, and it returns next spring. It’s the daily talk show, in the lucrative morning market, that will ultimately determine the wisdom of NBC News’ decision to hire her. She promises that Megyn Kelly Today, shown live with a studio audience, will be an information-packed hour with a sense of fun.
“It will be very similar to the Today show, but we’re going to have a lot more elbow room,” she said in an interview.
Ellen DeGeneres initiated Kelly into daytime TV this week by having her awkwardly toss pizza dough, stuff herself into a fat suit and dance with the audience. Kelly smiled and played along. The Trump trauma wasn’t why she left Fox, Kelly said.
“I don’t want to talk about Trump all day,” she said. “In fact, the bar is very high for Trump coverage (on Megyn Kelly Live). If you want Trump, you can watch virtually every channel in the country and get Trump non-stop. I think people are looking for a break from that.”
Kelly said her program will be uplifting and more substantive: recent trial runs had segments on the Equifax breach and protecting yourself from attack. Mental health, bullying, coping with divorce and tips for job interviews are the type of topics she’ll cover.
Trying to imitate the formula of Live! would be a huge mistake, said Bill Carroll, a consultant and expert on the daytime TV market. Name recognition, a consistent time slot across the country that makes the show easier to promote, and affiliation with the well-established Today brand give Kelly some advantages, he said.
Expecting Kelly to beat her more established rival is probably unrealistic; NBC will be looking most closely at how Megyn Kelly Today compares to the nondescript third hour of Today that preceded her. But attesting to the power of Today, the networks are already closer than you might think: Live! averages 2.8 million viewers, while NBC has been at 2.4 million in the hour, according to the Nielsen company.
The Trump saga and, perhaps, the debate earlier this summer over whether her newsmagazine should have given a platform to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, took a toll on Kelly’s image and she’s become a polarizing figure.
Breitbart has Kelly in its sights, with unsourced stories saying NBC co-workers were bothered by Kelly’s “divalike” behaviour. Kelly has quit social media, saying Twitter is a den of misogyny.
“There’s always somebody who wants to pull you down,” Kelly said.
“The more you mire yourself in that negativity, the more they steal your mojo. I just feel like this is between me and my viewers. The noise along the ride — I can’t listen to it and I know my viewers won’t listen to it. They’re going to watch the show and either they’re going to feel a connection to me or they won’t. And that will be on me.”