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Megyn Kelly Wants New NBC Show to 'Help People the Way Oprah Did'

Megyn Kelly / Getty Images
Megyn Kelly / Getty Images
March 10, 2017

Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is looking to move away from hard news reporting with hopes "to help people the way Oprah did" on her new NBC show.

A source told Page Six on Thursday that Kelly is looking to move her new show in a different direction from "combative interviewing."

"There was a lot of tough news to report on her show at Fox News. A lot of combative interviewing, going after people. Doing that every night was difficult. Megyn feels she has more to offer," the source said.

The source added that Kelly will host "real people" and "celebrities" on her NBC show.

"She wants to help people the way Oprah did, and do something more positive. She’ll be focusing on issues and bringing in real people as well as celebrities," the source continued. "Plus, she has a sense of humor and she wants to use that."

Kelly signed a deal with NBC in January worth between $12 million and $15 million. But she is still under contract with Fox until July 1, so she cannot sit in production meetings for the NBC show.

NBC president Noah Oppenheim is currently interviewing executive producers to help produce Kelly's show, and is hopeful that the show will debut during the 9 AM or 10 AM hour sometime in September.

"Barbara Walters has retired, Diane Sawyer left her anchor role. Oprah has moved to the OWN network and is doing a different thing now. So why not me?" Kelly told Variety in 2015.

"Megyn will have the Sunday night show on NBC to scratch that itch. That’s where you’ll see the big interviews and stories," the source told Page Six.

According to Page Six, Kelly wants someone outside NBC to help produce her show.

"Megyn doesn’t want a [Matt] Lauer loyalist running her show. She wants a team who she can trust and that will have her back," another source said, adding that others at "Today" are wondering "when the moving truck will pull up."

"People who have been there for 30 years fear they’ll be let go, and there’s, of course, talk about how much money she’s getting," the source added.