It’s the explosive story that has rocked the Today show and now, fellow high-profile television stars are weighing in on that Uber scandal.
On Monday morning, Studio 10‘s Jessica Rowe leapt to the defence of her “dear friend” Georgie Gardner.
Addressing Karl and Peter Stefanovic’s leaked private phone conversation, which has been recounted by an Uber driver who claims he didn’t record the exchange and simply overheard it, Jessica was furious with the Nine poster boys for bad-mouthing Georgie.
“Georgie’s one of my dearest friends… the phone call shouldn’t have been recorded, or whatever, but I don’t think these two [Karl and Peter Stefanovic] are victims,” the 47-year-old, who announced her departure from Studio 10 earlier in the month, explained on Monday’s episode.
“If you have nothing nice to say about someone, do it behind closed doors. Do not do it on speakerphone where people are listening.”
“Georgie is an incredible journalist, she is not neutral about anything. She’s strong, she’s committed, she’s passionate. I’m sick of blokes saying negative things about women,” the mother-of-two added, seemingly addressing Karl’s alleged criticism that the Today star sits on the fence and doesn’t have strong enough opinions.
Karl and Georgie had a frosty reunion on the Today show.
Panellist Angela Bishop then noted that the brothers had issued an apology, to which Jess quipped: “As they should have!”
“Karl was very effusive in his praise for Georgie,” Angela continued of the Stefanovic brothers’ statement.
Jessica knows all too well how damaging the “boys’ club” can be after finding herself in the middle of her own TV furore back in 2007.
Jessica was sacked by Channel Nine’s Eddie McGuire back in 2007 after a stint on Today, working with Karl Stefanovic.
There were claims that Nine Network boss Eddie had said he wanted to “bone” (fire) Jessica.
WATCH: Georgie calls Karl pathetic in the aftermath of the Uber scandal. Post continues…
She left Nine in 2007, and things went quiet for her.
“I did struggle for a long time,” Jess has since admitted.
“I was someone who had always defined myself through my career, my job title, which I’ve subsequently learned isn’t really a sensible thing to do. I felt very lost for a time. I thought, ‘What am I now? What do I do? What are my skills?'”
Jess, who is married to Nine newsreader Peter Overton, eventually found her feet and secured a role on Studio 10. But the respected reporter is now taking a step back so she can be more present for her two daughters, Allegra and Giselle, and is due to depart the show soon.
“I don’t think these two are victims,” Jess says of Karl and Peter.
