If TJ Holmes gets the boot for his extramarital activities, ABC Brass will be sorry to lose a big rising talent. But Page Six hears some production staff will breathe a sigh of relief.
Insiders say Holmes – who is “very likely” not returning to the show after his affair with “GMA3” co-host Amy Robach was exposed – has received rave reviews from executives for his skills both on the air and as a producer.
But he’s known for being a terror around the production staff on set. “He terrorizes the staff. you hate him He yells at producers, snaps at people and people don’t want to work with him,” a source told Page Six.
Another source described him as “snooty” and “nasty” towards employees, while another industry insider said he had a reputation for being “an idiot … long before this scandal broke.”
“He loves himself and really thinks he’s a big star. He’s acting like a hottie,” they said.
TJ Holmes and Amy Robach have been pulled from the air and ABC continues to investigate. ABC
“He’s nicer when he’s around the top anchors, but when he’s not with them he pretends to run the place and isn’t as nice,” the source added.
The first source advised not to get on his bad side because “he holds a grudge.” (While his rep didn’t comment, a source close to Holmes called the barbs a “transparent and unfounded character assassination of TJ”)
They went on to warn, “ABC News talent needs to be prepared… You could be next!”
Some ABC staffers described Holmes as a scare to work with. Disney General Entertainment Con
Some ABC staffers described Holmes as a scare to work with. ABC via Getty Images
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But it seems that Holmes is a very different character when superiors keep their eyes on him.
An insider tells us that his recent performance reviews of top executives, given to head of talent Galen Gordon, are full of comments depicting him as “versatile and a must.”
The reports also commend him for his “ability to handle the toughest of news stories, but also to tell light stories with heart and warmth.” The reports say he is unique on the network “because he brings context to difficult stories and always finds that crucial nugget…. [a] Swiss army knife, if you will,” they said.
“‘GMA’ executives said that every day they try to figure out where they can best use TJ to improve the show. The only criticism… was that… [he] can be slow or unresponsive when producers reach out to him,” they added.
A fifth person told us that Holmes has to work harder than other ABC talent, describing him as “overworked and undersupported”.
“He had a heavier workload than everyone else. He not only presented his segments. He produced them. He’s been doing double duty for years,” they said.
“When you were on the ball, you were fine. If you dropped the ball or did mediocre work, he doesn’t bite his tongue, but he was always professional,” they said.
Holmes did double duty producing his own segments and delivering news on ABC. ABC
After stints as anchors at CNN and BET, Holmes had to “climb” his way back to top anchor status — and it started, we’re told, on night shifts at ABC.
“That was probably demoralizing for him, and that may have reflected in his demeanor, but he’s no worse than any other television talent,” said a sixth source.
Despite differing opinions on how he has treated employees, according to a sixth source, the general consensus is, “TJ is good at his job … He’s meticulous and keeps people engaged [high] Levels of Accountability. Not everyone wants to work that hard – he’s an excellent journalist and all are rated difficult because they’re meticulous,” the sixth source said.
Meanwhile, we’re told that neither Holmes nor Robach expected their affair to jeopardize their jobs as GMA3 hosts.
Though more of Holmes’ “leaks” have come out since their office affair was uncovered, reports suggesting Robach was caught off guard by the alleged affairs are ridiculous, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Holmes and Robach remain off the air and were seen leaving town on Tuesday. Getty Images
Holmes and Robach remain off the air and were seen leaving town on Tuesday. ABC via Getty Images
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For example, Robach was “Natascha’s best friend [Singh]’ the woman he had a three-year affair with while married to wife Marilee Fiebig, an insider said.
Holmes was accused of yet another office affair as he and Robach left town on Tuesday.
The employees have not contacted us.