Georgie Gardner was seen crying in her car after being locked in a long phone conversation last week, after reports surfaced of a “heated incident” involving the veteran newsreader and a junior female producer on the show.
The tense standoff reportedly occurred at Nine’s Sydney studio over the Saturday night news bulletin, as The Daily Telegraph first reported. Network bosses allegedly launched an investigation after an anonymous complaint was filed against Georgie, 54, with rumours swirling there may well have been two separate incidents implicating the broadcaster.
GEORGIE’S BAD DAY
Behind the scenes, one well-placed insider reveals what really happened.
“She arrived on set that day in a mood and before hitting the newsdesk, she reportedly had cross words with her EP [executive producer] over their scriptwriting not being up to scratch, it’s then alleged that there was a heated incident between her and the young producer before she instructed they, ‘need to get cracking’.
“Once in the studio, floor staff have confirmed there were further cross words during the ad breaks.”
According to The Daily Telegraph, a witness says the drama was over the result of an axed news story.
“The response wasn’t good. I feel like it seemed like it was already really tense,” says the observer. “A look can mean a thousand words with Georgie.”
Our source adds, “Rumours are swirling that someone may have recorded it and executives have the tape. Now there’s speculation Georgie could be in strife if management at Nine believe she acted inappropriately.”
Georgie, who has worked at Nine for 22 years, then took two weeks of “planned leave” before returning to work last Friday.
FUTURE IN JEOPARDY?
Despite the alleged incident, a fellow co-worker describes Georgie as “a lovely, strong woman” who has stood up for the rights of Nine staff – amid claims of a bad culture at the network.
Kicking off her career as a Nine weathergirl in 2002, Georgie went on to read the news on Today, before replacing Lisa Wilkinson for a tumultuous stint as Karl Stefanovic’s co-host, which included the infamous Ubergate phone call.
Karl left under a cloud of controversy and Georgie co-hosted alongside Deb Knight, a partnership that ended when the show’s ratings hit an all-time low.
“It’s no secret when she left Today and was given just two nights a week reading the 6pm bulletin in Sydney, she was offered it as a sweetener with the same money as she was on at Today – reportedly $600,000 – which has annoyed her colleagues further.
“The joke around the station is that she’s the highest paid part-timer at Nine – but it’s likely she and many other big names may be asked to take pay cuts!”
Nine has not confirmed claims a probe was launched and a spokesperson adds, “Georgie Gardner is a highly regarded longstanding member of our Nine News team. We offer no further comment.”
