NEED TO KNOW
- Jono Fren’s Instagram bio only lists his Travel Guides involvement across Seasons 1 to 10 – despite the show currently filming Season 11.
- The entire Fren family were noticeably absent from the Logie Awards on August 16, where Travel Guides won for the fifth time.
- Instead, Jono was with his young family and posted about needing to step away from the spotlight.
- Fellow Guides Kevin Moloney and Janetta Stones have confirmed cast shake-ups are coming in 2027.
New Idea can exclusively reveal that Travel Guides is bracing for cast shake-ups, with new groups set to join the Channel Nine show’s 11th season – as fresh questions swirl over Jonathan Fren’s future with the program.
Speaking to New Idea on the 2026 TV WEEK Logie Awards red carpet, Guides Kevin Moloney and Janetta Stones confirmed they were “in the middle of filming” the new season, and hinted at changes ahead.
“There are some new groups coming in… some groups that apparently the public may know, and some groups they won’t know,” Janetta exclusively told New Idea.
Kevin added: “It’s keeping it fresh.”
Their comments come as Jono Fren appears to have dropped a hint about stepping back from the show after his entire family skipped the 2026 TV WEEK Logie Awards on August 16.
Taking time away from the spotlight
While most of the Travel Guides cast was on hand to celebrate the show’s fifth consecutive Best Lifestyle Program win, Jono was instead with his wife, Danielle, and their young son Theodore, in Forbes, NSW.
Jono’s parents, Mark and Cathy, and sister Victoria were also no-shows at the Sydney event – a noticeable departure from their usual front-and-centre presence at the Logies.
Sharing photos of the getaway to Instagram, Jono wrote, “While the Logies are happening tonight, I’m swapping the red carpet for a few days out west with our little family.”
“Sometimes the best plans are the ones that involve a change of scenery, quality time together and making memories with our favourite little person… We hope everyone attending the Logies this year has a great night, and to all the nominee we wish you the best of luck!”
Who will replace Jono Fren on Travel Guides?
In June, New Idea exclusively revealed how Jono had danced around a fan’s question about his family’s future with Travel Guides.
At the time, Jono was overheard explaining that he, Victoria and their parents would be part of the 2026 season – but cryptically added that beyond this, nothing else had “been confirmed.”
Now, New Idea‘s eagle-eyed sleuths have clocked a further clue: Jono’s Instagram bio only lists his involvement in Travel Guides across Seasons 1 to 10, despite the show currently filming its 11th.
“It seems quite definitive… that Jono is not coming back for this new season and is closing the Travel Guides chapter of his life. Whether the rest of the Frens continue without him remains to be seen,” a source told New Idea.
The Frens’ collective family Instagram account still uses present-tense phrasing, implying they remain with the show.
But the bio on Victoria’s solo profile – “Nathan and Victoria Moran, Guides on @Channel9’s @Travelguides” – has fuelled speculation that her husband Nathan could be stepping in as Jono’s replacement, if he has indeed hung up his passport for good.
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