Georgie Gardner has announced she’s leaving Channel Nine after 25 years at the network.
She shared the news via a heartfelt statement on March 13.
“I could not be more grateful for the range of opportunities Nine has afforded me over nearly a quarter of a century,” she said.
“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.”
For the past 17 years, Georgie has been presenting 9News Sydney’s 6pm weekend bulletin. She was also a co-host of Today for two years after working on the show as a newsreader and fill-in host for a number of years.
She started her career as at 9News, presenting the 6pm weekday weather with Brian Henderson and reading the morning news.
Fiona Dear, Executive Director of News & Current Affairs at Channel Nine, said the 55-year-old is “one of the most talented newsreaders in the country”.
“Georgie’s versatility as a presenter has seen her hold 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 said in a statement released on Friday.
“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.”
Why did Georgie Gardner leave the Today Show?
After replacing Lisa Wilkinson on the Today show, Georgie spectacularly left the job just two years in.
Speaking on the It’s All Her podcast, Georgie revealed that the endless scrutiny surrounding Lisa quitting the show, as well as the media attention her co-host Karl Stefanovic was receiving, made for a difficult working environment.
“Unfortunately, things that were out of my control meant that it was a short-lived stint,” she explained later on the It’s All Her podcast.
“I had a year hosting with Karl, which was a lot of fun. But it was also a period in his personal life, where there was a lot going on. And there was a lot of noise,” she continued.
“We were never sort of able to get traction because there was always so much speculation about his private life. And it was really tough for him. And it was tough for us.”
Georgie will read her final bulletin on April 17, and the network is yet to announce a replacement.
