Like a cat that has nine lives, it has been confirmed that Karl Stefanovic is returning to Nine’s Today with Allison Langdon by his side.
WATCH: Karl Stefanovic says ‘there’s no chance’ of him going back to the Today Show
“I am as shocked about this as everyone else,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday.
“It’s not something I thought would ever come up again. I thought my time was up, but then, when I was sounded out about it, it got me thinking. It’s a big job with enormous pressures and I know only too well some of those pitfalls, but it is also without question the best live TV job in Australia.”
After getting unceremoniously dumped by the Network while on his honeymoon with his second wife Jasmine Yarbrough in December, Nine’s cash cow will return after ratings slumped on the breakfast show in his absence.
It means that Today’s first all-female line-up – Georgie Gardner and Deb Knight – are out!
Darren Wick, Nine’s new boss, told The SMH: “[It was] a bold decision to try something new with two women hosting … and sadly that has not worked.”
It’s unsure what it means for Georgie and Deb, but it has been rumoured that Sonia Kruger is set to move to Seven to host the rebooted Big Brother for a $2-million-a-year gig, so that could be an option for them. However, it’s unlikely that a headstrong Georgie would accept it.
It has been rumoured that the 45-year-old will reportedly face a large pay cut (a significantly lower salary than he had over the 14 years he worked on the Today show). While the star has one year left on his contract and is sitting at an excess of $2m a year, he will be forced to give up “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to return to the program, the publication reports.
Allison, his third co-star in as many years, said: “We are great mates but I don’t always agree with everything that he says … and he knows that. I can promise you, we won’t be boring.”
The latter part of her statement sounded like a dig to Georgie and Deb, who failed to win over viewers. Indeed, many of Today’s viewers turned over to Seven’s Sunrise last year, but will Karl be able to turn them back? Only time will tell.
