Rachel Maddow explains weeks-long ‘hiatus’ from MSNBC

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow revealed to her audience that she will be taking a break from her eponymous show for a few weeks.

The hiatus is evidently due to her planned work on a movie directed by Ben Stiller which is to be based on her book and podcast, “Bag Man.”

The host of “The Rachel Maddow Show” made the announcement Monday as she spoke to viewers from her home studio, explaining that she had been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and was symptomatic.

“I’m vaccinated and boosted. I have tested negative so far but I was definitely exposed… so that means I cannot go to the studio and risk infecting any of my beloved co-workers or anybody else in that space,” she said. “I’m just trying to do my part to make sure I don’t put anybody else at risk.”

She also noted that she was not very skilled at applying her own makeup.

She followed her explanation with news of her temporary departure from the MSNBC show she has hosted since 2008. Maddow signed a new multi-year deal last year with the cable channel which is owned by NBCUniversal, securing herself a $30 million a year gig that will see the end of her nightly broadcast but make room for a weekly show and other programs.

“Just like late-night hosts sometimes go on hiatus and their shows, I’m gonna go on hiatus here for a little bit from the show,” she said Monday, revealing the news about the Still project.

“Ben Stiller is going to direct it. He’s incredible,” Maddow said. “One of the producers of the film is Lorne Michaels — yes, that Lorne Michaels. This has been in the works for a while now. But it looks like it’s gonna happen. I am super excited about it.”

“I am going to take a little bit of time off from this show, to go help with the movie and also to work on some other things that I have cooking with NBC right now, including a new podcast,” she continued. “There’s also an adaptation of a different book that I want to try to make for TV as well. But I’ve just started working on it. There’s all this stuff I’ve been working on that I want to work some more on.”

“As you can tell, I’m nervous about all this as a change in my life, but it’s all for the good,” she added. “I’m not really going anywhere… I will be back doing the show again before you’ll even miss me.”

“And there may eventually be another hiatus again sometime in my future. But for now, we’re just taking it one step at a time,” Maddow told her audience. “Of course, while I’m away the show will continue to be run by the absolute best producers in this entire business, by the amazing staff of this show. So don’t worry, don’t worry, you will be in very, very good hands. Change is good, change is absolutely terrifying. But in this case, it’s good. So now you know.”

Frieda Powers

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