In January 2005, former Today show weather girl Sami Lukis received the shock of her life when she was sacked from the Channel 9 show.
Yesterday, the 49-year-old penned a piece for news.com.au where she detailed her "cut-throat" experience with the television industry.
Sami recalled exactly how the Nine Network relayed the news to her, revealing that she was told in the most unlikely of circumstances.
"I was dumped as Channel 9’s Today show weather presenter while I was on holiday. In fact, I was only given the shocking news on the very last day of what had been an otherwise enjoyable three-week vacay," she wrote.
While she was axed over a decade ago, the former TV presenter said "the memory is just as vivid today" and appears to still be affected by it.
"Thinking about how it all went down still makes me anxious," she confessed, describing the moment she learned of her sacking while at a dinner in Beverly Hills.
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"Just like that, without any warning, after three amazing years, my time atTodaywas over," Sami admitted, revealing that she was left humiliated after realising other Today show hosts knew before her.
"I was devastated. And humiliated. Because as it also turns out, I was the last one to know," the author of Romantically Challenged said.
Sami claimed that she was having dinner with the Today show's Richard Wilkins when she received the news.
"Dickie later told me that he found out I was leaving the show before dinner. I didn’t find out until after dessert," she said.
Sami said taking time off during a period where the Today show's ratings were slipping was "risky business."
"TV is a ruthless business, where presenters (or “on-air talent” as the execs call us), are often pawns in a mostly sales-driven game of chess," the blonde wrote.
She also revealed that she had been training Steve Jacobs under the impression that he was to be her holiday replacement, but in an added "kick in the guts," she later discovered she had been preparing him to take over her job.
According to Sami, the official word from her manager was "They just decided they wanted to put a man in the role. So they’re keeping Stevie."
Sami Lukus received the shock of her life when she was sacked from the Channel 9 show.
Getty/Channel 9
Ten years later, Sami had a similar experience while working at Mix 106.5.
The former radio host had been working for the breakfast show for a year when she was suddenly replaced by Kyle & Jackie O.
Shockingly, she revealed that she had found out through the Sunday paper.
"It certainly would have lessened the blow if the bosses had respected me enough to let me know before it became public knowledge," she admitted.
"A hefty dose of salt was rubbed into that wound, when I heard about it via text, from a friend, in another state, who read about it in the paper."