Josh Elliott was fired by CBS News in February after Charlie Rose and Scott Pelley reportedly complained about his on-air announcement that he would be leaving his hosting role to pursue more field reporting, according to sources.
A CBS News insider told DailyMail.com that Rose and Pelley were ‘furious’ they were not consulted about Elliott’s planned move, which was seen internally as akin to the Michael Strahan-Kelly Ripa controversy at ABC. Network executives faced a choice between keeping their marquee stars happy or supporting Elliott, and opted for the former.
Elliott, 45, had been hosting the CBSN morning show for nearly a year when he revealed in February that he would shift to long-form pieces. He was fired the following Monday. A CBS News spokesperson confirmed his departure at the time, stating: ‘CBS News and Josh Elliott are parting ways.’
The source added that Pelley was already upset about reports that CBS wanted to move him from the evening news, while Rose’s team was angry about threats to his position, especially during his medical leave after heart surgery. Elliott, who had previously worked at ABC and NBC, was described as ‘devastated’ and had believed he had internal approval for the announcement.
An industry source also criticised Elliott’s agent, Jay Sures, for failing to ensure all relevant parties were prepared, calling it ‘a giant black eye’ for his management. The source noted that Elliott had hoped for a long career at CBS and was not seeking the top job, but wanted to work with respected colleagues.
