NBC fires news anchor Matt Lauer over sexual misconduct claim

NBC News has fired its leading morning news anchor Matt Lauer following a complaint of “inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace” - and says there may have been more than one incident.

Lauer, 59, was a co-host on the popular Today programme for 20 years and his firing is a blow to the network.

“The Today show is one of the most popular and most profitable franchises on American television, ” reports CNN, which describes Lauer as “the cornerstone of the programme”.

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NBC News chairman Andrew Lack sent a memo to staff this morning saying that while it was the first complaint made against Lauer in his long career, “we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident”.

Lauer is the latest in a growing list of high-profile figures to have lost their jobs over allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct in the wake of Hollywood’s Harvey Weinstein scandal.

CBS News fired morning anchor Charlie Rose earlier this month following allegations of “disturbing sexual behaviour” reported in The Washington Post. Fox News sacked its best-known presenter, Bill O’Reilly, in April, while Netflix recently fired actor Kevin Spacey from House of Cards.

The scandal has also spread to the UK, with Michael Fallon forced to resign as defence secretary, as well as ongoing investigations into other politicians including First Secretary of State Damian Green.