MS NOW host Rachel Maddow allegedly has tension with the network’s morning show hosts, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinksi, according to an insider. Entertainment reporter Rob Shuter says the team around Maddow, as the highest paid newscaster on MS NOW (which was rebranded from MSNBC), apparently “guards” her primetime territory and dislikes it when Joe and Mika get an exclusive before she does. Joe and Mika both appear on “Morning Joe” from 6 AM to 10 AM ET every weekday, whereas Rachel Maddow’s show airs only on Monday nights at 9:00 PM ET.

MS Now rep responds to Maddow’s alleged feud with Joe and Mika

Rob Shuter, in a statement with the Daily Mail, describes the “premium-grade, artisanal tension” between Rachel, Joe, and Mika. The outlet says that, according to him, the “friction” between these three lead anchors on MS NOW is “palpable.”

“Let’s be honest, the tension is real,” Shuter said. “Joe and Mike run their show like a cozy morning salon, but everyone knows Rachel is the boss. Her team guards that primetime territory the way Fort Knox guards gold and that alone creates sparks. You can feel the vibes shift the second Morning Joe grabs a big story.”

 

 

MS Now's Joe Scarborough and Wife Mika Brzezinski Battling Rival Rachel Maddow

He continued, “There’s no screaming match in the hallways, but the rivalry hums like electricity. Joe and Mika see themselves as the engine of the network. But Rachel? Rachel is the North Star. When you’ve got that many egos and only one true center of gravity, it gets spicy.”

That said, he admits that all three hosts are important for the network and that their shows are chasing different things, with Morning Joe going after “conversation and access” and The Rachel Maddow Show focusing on “accountability and depth.”

However, a spokesperson for MS NOW finds this report “patently absurd” and that there’s no supposed feud between the three hosts.

“Given the huge success we are having as of late… it’s no wonder people are desperate to try and cause trouble,” the rep said. “This story is patently absurd and anyone who knows anything about the way we operate around here can confirm that.”