10 Dumbest Mistakes That Got TV Hosts FIRED

10 Dumbest Mistakes That Got TV Hosts FIRED

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re taking a look at 10 instances of TV hosts being sacked for avoidable mistakes.

Meltem Günay

News anchors drinking hot beverages on-air is nothing scandalous. However, rather than use a channel-branded mug, Turkish broadcaster Meltem Günay displayed her Starbucks cup on-air as she anchored TGRT Haber in 2023. At the time, due to allegations the coffee company was supporting Israel during its war, supporters of Palestine were boycotting the brand. Seeing the famous logo on their screen during the news, viewers interpreted Günay’s cup as a subtle hint of her support of Israel. TGRT responded by firing the award-winning Günay and the show’s director, stating the newsreader broke its rules by advertising a company on its programming.

Bill Grundy

Due to Queen pulling out at the last minute, in 1976, the Sex Pistols were brought in as a guest replacement for the UK’s “Today” show, hosted by Bill Grundy, and was set to go out live. He was incredibly hostile to the group, showing little respect for them and seemingly hitting on the band’s female entourage. In response, the Sex Pistols used insults against Grundy, some of which were curse words that went against the pre-watershed rules, as it was broadcast in the early evening. After outrage grew in the aftermath, Grundy, on top of having his unprofessionalism called out by executives publicly, was suspended for 2 weeks. However, only a couple of months later, “Today” was canceled, and he was unemployed.

Ron Atkinson

After success as a soccer player and manager, Ron Atkinson made a logical transition to broadcast pundit, becoming a fixture on ITV Sport. However, that career step was destroyed in 2004. At the time, Atkinson was working on the coverage for the Champions League semi-final first-leg match between Monaco and Chelsea. Believing his microphone to be off, the pundit used a racial slur as he criticized Marcel Desailly. While it wasn’t heard in the UK, the comments were broadcast in the Middle East. Due to the massive backlash, Atkinson was forced to resign from ITV. In the years since, he’s stated he was only repeating what other managers had said and he was “fed up of apologizing.”

Jimmy Snyder

In 1976, after making his name in sports betting, the man better known as “Jimmy the Greek” was hired to work on “The NFL Today” alongside co-hosts Brent Musburger and Phyllis George. The sometimes rough-speaking Snyder crossed a line with George, but it was other ill-chosen words that brought his career to an abrupt end in 1988. While being interviewed for WRC-TV to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Synder made several controversial comments. One included him claiming that black people were better athletes due to breeding practices during the slave trade. Yikes. Days later, CBS fired Synder, and he apologized for his words. In 1991, he sued the broadcaster for his dismissal. However, Synder lost the case before passing away in 1996.

Don Lemon

In 2006, Lemon made the jump to CNN after being a regional reporter. He rose up the ranks, eventually getting his own show, “Don Lemon Tonight,” from 2014 until 2022 and then co-hosting “CNN This Morning.” Trouble started when Lemon began making several misogynistic comments, such as defending the pay gap between men and women athletes. Oh, and claiming Nikki Haley could not be in her prime because women are only in their prime in their “20s and 30s and maybe 40s.” Ew. In 2023, reports came out about earlier instances of misogynistic comments and abusive behavior to colleagues, which the news anchor denied. Regardless, CNN dropped Lemon, forking over $24.5 million in a separation deal, and Lemon began investigating independent career options.

Connie Chung

One of the most famous news anchors in the US during the ‘90s, Connie Chung’s career with CBS came screeching to a halt due to not one but two incidents in 1995. First, she asked then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's mother, Kathleen, what her son thought about Hillary Clinton. When Kathleen didn’t answer, Chung stated it would be kept between them. Instead, the insult Gingrich whispered about Clinton was clearly heard. Then, when covering the Oklahoma City bombing, Chung was heavily criticized for patronizing questions toward firefighters. As such, she was removed as co-host of “CBS Evening News,” leading to Chung departing the network and subsequently joining ABC News.

Alec Baldwin

In 2013, the first episode of the talk show “Up Late with Alec Baldwin” aired, which featured the actor chatting with folks about current events and the arts. However, a month and 5 episodes later, Baldwin found himself in hot water in New York City. The actor was recorded getting out of his car and shouting homophobic slurs at a photographer who got too close to his family. Immediately, Baldwin’s show was suspended for 2 weeks, and he apologized for his words. Then, MSNBC canceled his program. In an interview with Gothamist, Baldwin bizarrely blamed the decision on the “fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy.”

Bill Maher

Known for getting himself in hot water on more than one occasion, no controversy was as catastrophic for Bill Maher as what he said in 2001. When hosting “Politically Incorrect,” as he had for 8 years, one guest was Dinesh D'Souza, who stated that the perpetrators of the September 11th attacks were “warriors.” This sparked Maher to agree, then go a step further by claiming the US were “cowards” for attacking with missiles thousands of miles away. Maher’s comments resulted in sponsors withdrawing from “Politically Incorrect.” The show struggled to keep going with the financial hit, leading to its cancellation in 2002.

Chris Harrison

If there was a Hall of Fame for reality TV presenters, this hoist of “The Bachelor” and its various spin-offs would’ve been there. At least until 2021, when Harrison ruined that scenario during an interview with “Extra.” Interviewer Rachel Lindsay asked the host about contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who was discovered to have liked racially charged social media posts and attended an Antebellum South plantation-themed party. Harrison went on a long-winded rant defending Kirkconnell. Various contestants from his many shows and the fans who watched them condemned Harrison’s defense, who later apologized for his comments. He was suspended by the franchise as guest hosts stepped in before he was fully let go.

Phil Donahue

Perhaps the most influential talk show host of all time, Phil Donahue is known for hosting “The Phil Donahue Show,” which ran for 26 years from 1967 to 1996. The program is widely credited with being the first talk show to engage directly with audiences. In 2003, his MSNBC show “Donahue” was canceled. However, a leaked internal memo suggested that Donahue was fired for his public anti-Iraq War sentiments. It was stated that Donahue would be a quote “difficult public face for NBC in a time of war” and his program quote “a home for the liberal anti-war agenda.” Donahue later suggested that his firing came as a result of General Electric, the defense contractor that owned MSNBC at the time.

Have you ever caught a live TV flub? Let us know in the comments.