Today the hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon are both bound by long-term contracts with the Nine Network and “nobody’s going anywhere.”
A senior Nine source said the couple would remain hosts of the program, which was beaten in ratings by ABC News Breakfast for a week this month.
Stefanovic and Langdon each reportedly earn around $1.5 million a year.
Langdon, who linked up with Stefanovic on Today in January 2020, signed a new multi-year contract last year and his co-host is under contract until 2023.
‘There is no change,’ the source told Daily Mail Australia of speculation anyone on the scheme would be replaced. ‘Nobody is going anywhere. It’s bulls**t.
Today, hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon are both bound by long-term contracts with the Nine Network. ‘No one is going anywhere,’ a senior Nine source told Daily Mail Australia of speculation anyone on the scheme would be replaced. Stefanovic and Langdon are pictured
The source also denied suggestions entertainment reporter Brooke Boney could be named a ‘traveling reporter’ and Nine’s Perth weather presenter Scherri-Lee Biggs would take over from Tim Davies in the Today role.
“Ally signed last year for several years and Karl is locked up, like everyone else,” the source said. “They have their team.”
Stefanovic and Langdon were still perplexed by a claim in a newspaper article in late January they had been told to ‘get in shape or go’ this year.
“They were never asked to train or ship,” the source said. “This was a bulls**t article months ago and it should have been square.”
Stefanovic and Langdon appeared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Wednesday to say they weren’t worried that Today would fall to third place behind the ABC and the Seven Network’s Sunrise earlier this month.
The co-presenters said it was normal for breakfast TV ratings to go up and down, and that a bad week was no reason to panic.
Langdon, who teamed up with Stefanovic on Today in January 2020, signed a new multi-year contract last year and her co-host is “locked in for the long haul” with the network. They are pictured with Today Entertainment Report Brooke Boney
The average viewership across Today’s five metropolitan cities for the week beginning May 2 was 176,000. Sunrise, hosted by David Koch and Natalie Barr, drew 241,000 viewers, followed by ABC News Breakfast with 195,000. viewers.
ABC News Breakfast co-host Michael Rowland, who presents the program alongside Lisa Millar, was delighted with the rare ratings win on Today.
“The result reflects our main point of difference with other shows,” he told TV Tonight. “We don’t have ‘News’ in our title for nothing.
“It’s really nice to see viewers come and ask us for information and analysis, especially in the context of the election campaign. And of course, they still laugh.
Stefanovic, who is nominated for a Logie d’or, said it was no surprise to see the public broadcaster rise to second place during an election campaign.
“If the ABC is not having a good time in the election, then they are in serious trouble,” the 47-year-old told Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.
ABC News Breakfast’s Michael Rowland (above with co-host Lisa Millar) gloated in a rare ratings victory on Today earlier this month on the campaign trail. “The result reflects our main point of difference with other shows,” Rowland said.
“We love what we do and are committed to making a great show for our viewers. There is no doubt that what we are doing now is better than it has been in recent years.
Langdon told KIIS FM hosts: “Results are changing every day. We have won Brisbane for the past few days but last week we lost. It jumps all over the place and election coverage plays a role.
The Nine source said the network will review the ratings at the end of the year.
“The numbers are not as heavy as when everyone was home with the pandemic,” the source said. “After the election, we’ll probably start to see things go back to normal.”
Stefanovic used the KIIS FM interview to criticize last weekend’s claims that Langdon “had a temper tantrum” after being overlooked to appear on election night coverage of Nine.
A newspaper report alleged Langdon felt snubbed after Nine chose Melbourne newsreader Alicia Loxley to anchor his coverage with his Sydney counterpart Peter Overton.
Today, it’s in a ratings battle with Seven Network’s Sunrise. Left to right, the Sunrise team: Sam Mac, Edwina Bartholomew, Natalie Barr, David Koch and Mark Beretta
“There’s no one here at Channel Nine who would have seen her throwing a tantrum because it didn’t happen,” Stefanovic said.
“I just find it appalling that a woman like Ally, who is fully invested in her job and works so hard and is a wonderful mum, is just taken away – for what? For trying to do her job?
Langdon, who turned 43 on Friday, also strongly denied there was a tantrum.
“There was no explosion,” she said. “I’m a lot of things but I’m not a diva.
“The press room organizes the elections and that is very good. Alicia and Pete will do a great job.
A TV insider told New Idea on Monday that Stefanovic and Langdon are determined to make Today the top-rated breakfast news show.
“Karl is the kind of guy who would never bail out a sinking ship,” the insider said.
“Being behind in the rankings makes him and Ally just want to work harder to get back to the top.” It’s sink or swim for [them].
“Knowing their tenacity and professionalism, they will do everything they can to bring back their precious viewers who may have temporarily wandered off to other networks.”
Stefanovic hosted Today from 2005 to 2018 before being fired and returning after a year in which Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner helmed the series.
His longtime co-host Lisa Wilkinson, who joined Stefanovic on the program in 2007, left in 2017 amid a pay dispute and went to work on The Project.
Wilkinson claimed that Stefanovic earned a lot more than her today, but nine insiders said she received double her salary in their early years.
Today has gained ground on Sunrise since 2020, winning the ratings battle last September for the first time in three years.
Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon say they aren’t worried about a drop in ratings after slipping to third place behind ABC News Breakfast and Sunrise this month
#Today #hosts #Karl #Stefanovic #Allison #Langdon #signed #longterm #contracts