The formidable combination of Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight at the helm of Today was meant to be the dawn of a new chapter in the show’s 37-year history.
Producers had their fingers crossed that the first all-female line-up would help restore the floundering breakfast show to its former glory, after its reputation was tarnished by the antics of exiled host Karl Stefanovic.
But the “hangover” left by Karl appears to be too great for even Georgie and Deb to overcome.
Today‘s reputation was tarnished by Karl’s antics. (Image: Instagram @thetodayshow)
After much fanfare, Today debuted its new line-up on January 14 live from Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to coincide with the Australian Open.
But despite the added lure of tennis, Aussie audiences failed to tune in. Just 197,000 viewers in metro areas watched the relaunch episode, compared to 260,000 watching Seven rival Sunrise. While Today‘s figures improved on the second day, growing to 202,000, it still wasn’t enough to match Sunrise.
“Poor Deb and Georgie. You have to feel for them. Those girls can’t catch a break. They’re doing a bloody good job and are being unfairly judged on one week’s ratings,” says an industry insider.
“Of course, this has nothing to do with them. The damage Karl left behind is irreparable. I don’t think anything or anyone can save Today. The top dogs at Nine must be tearing their hair out. It’s not like they can scrap the show altogether… There’s just no obvious replacement.”
WATCH: The brand new Today Show team make their 2019 debut. Post continues…
Even with a looming axe seemingly hanging over their heads, Georgie and Deb, and their colleagues Tony Jones, Brooke Boney and Tom Steinfort, are remaining positive about the show and its future.
When questioned about the falling ratings, Deb said, “That’s for others to work at and worry about. My job is turning up and being me. You’ve got to focus on the job at hand.”
