1 hour ago
3
Nine newsreader and former Today show host Georgie Gardner has announced she is leaving the network, after nearly 25 years behind the desk.
Gardner anchors Sydney’s 6pm weekend news at present, and will read her final bulletin on April 17.
“I could not be more grateful for the range of opportunities Nine has afforded me over nearly a quarter of a century,” Gardner said in a statement. “Anchoring news bulletins across the day, as well as reporting and hosting roles on virtually every news program at the network, has been incredibly satisfying and an enormous privilege.
“I will be forever thankful for having worked with countless colleagues who are quite simply the best in the industry, and I am humbled by the knowledge that there are viewers who have followed my career.”
Gardner started at the network in 2002, where she presented the 6pm weekday weather alongside Brian Henderson. However, her profile received a national boost once she joined the Today show as newsreader in 2007 and fill-in host until 2014, when she tearfully resigned live on air, saying it had “not been an easy decision to leave a show that is an Australian television institution”.
However, she rejoined the Today show in 2018 as host, alongside Karl Stefanovic and then Deborah Knight, in the show’s only female hosting pairing. The latter pairing lasted less than a year and Gardner returned to the Sydney news desk.
Nine executive director of news and current affairs Fiona Dear praised Gardner’s versatility for holding almost every on-air news role at Nine. “It’s a remarkable achievement and during that time Georgie has been loved and respected by audiences across Australia.
“She has had a front-row seat to some of the most important moments in history, delivering the biggest news stories to audiences first thing in the morning, in prime time at 6pm and late into the evening with Nightline. Georgie’s professionalism and composure during breaking news events makes her one of the most talented newsreaders in the country. Georgie’s decision to step away from television news has our full support, and we thank her and wish her well in her future endeavours.”
*Nine is the owner of this masthead.
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
