NEED TO KNOW
- Karl Stefanovic is rumoured to be considering stepping away from Today when his contract ends.
- Nine is reportedly working on a succession plan behind the scenes.
- Sunrise host Matt Shirvington is being eyed as a dream replacement.
- Insiders say luring him from Seven “would take a miracle”.
- Several other names — including David Campbell and Clint Stanaway — are also in the mix.
Following the successful launch of his podcast earlier this year, chatter has reached fever pitch that Karl Stefanovic is looking to step away from his TV gig on Today when his contract ends, to focus more heavily on his new off-screen endeavour and other media projects.
While Karl has made no official announcement, speculation continues to swirl within industry circles about how much longer he plans to remain in the breakfast television grind after more than two decades in the spotlight.
And according to a new report in the Sunday Telegraph, Sunrise co-host Matt Shirvington is being eyed off by Nine executives as a dream replacement if Karl does decide to move on. The move would be a major shake-up in the morning TV landscape.
“Nine could poach Shirvo and at the same time bolster their Olympics coverage,” the Telegraph report stated, pointing to his strong sporting background and on-screen experience as key selling points for the network.
New Idea’s TV insider confirms that Nine is “working on Karl’s succession plan”, with discussions understood to be ongoing behind the scenes about a range of possible long-term replacements.
However, luring Matt, 47, from Sunrise “would take a miracle” because he is “very happy” at Channel Seven and has “no plans to go anywhere”, our source adds, suggesting any potential move would be far from straightforward.
According to the Telegraph, others in the mix to replace Karl, 51, if and when he leaves, include David Campbell, James Bracey and Clint Stanaway, all of whom already have strong profiles within the Nine stable. Another Seven name, Weekend Sunrise’s David Woiwod, is also being thrown into the conversation as networks weigh up both familiar faces and fresh energy for the flagship role.
And as New Idea previously reported, the 21-year-old viral sensation Chaad Hewitt is even being considered as an outside-the-box option, reflecting the growing appetite for younger, social-media-savvy talent on traditional TV.
Meanwhile, Nine still appears to be searching for someone to replace Karl’s co-host, Sarah Abo, when she goes on maternity leave in a matter of months.
Sarah seemingly confirmed as much on-air last week, when she told former Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson during an interview that there would be a free spot on the couch from August if she wanted it. Lisa jokingly replied, “Well, I don’t have anything else to do.”
