Nine has confirmed that almost all the key personalities on its flagging breakfast show Today have been shown the door for 2020, after months of disappointing ratings and shake-up rumours.
The only host to remain from the show’s ill-fated 2019 makeover is Brooke Boney, a former triple j newsreader who, as a Gamilaroi Gomeroi woman, was the first Indigenous woman to join a commercial breakfast television team in Australia.
Newsreader Tom Steinfort — who was moved to Today from Nine’s 60 Minutes at the start of this year — will be replaced by Tracy Vo. Sydney reporter Tim Davies will take over from weatherman Steve Jacobs, who’s been with the show since 2005.
Nine announced in November that ousted host Karl Stefanovic would be back at the desk next year, after being booted at the end of 2018. Nine reporter Allison Langdon will be his co-host.
Long-time entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins will also be gone from Today‘s weekday edition, and will host Weekend Today with Rebecca Maddern.
The cuts won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the show’s ratings crash-and-burn since Lisa Wilkinson left for Ten in late 2017.
Audience figures fell to near-record lows two weeks into the year and have struggled to improve. In November, the show registered its lowest weekly average of 174,000 viewers.
Stefanovic is currently suing News Corp’s The Daily Telegraph over its report that he took a $1 million paycut to return to the program (but the Nine-owned Sydney Morning Herald has reported his salary will be less than the $3 million it was at Today’s height).
“Volley(?) Today.”?
Getting rid of Muppets. Today rating badly. Hooray, hooray!
Getting rid of Muppets. Today rating badly. Hooray, hooray!