Nine is overhauling the line-up of one of its most important shows as the network looks to gain a critical edge over Seven’s Sunrise before the ratings season kicks off.
And if you’ve been subscribed to Mail+, you would know her name already, because we tipped her for great things only weeks ago.
We first caught wind of the staff reshuffle when Weekend Today co-host Sophie Walsh quietly removed all reference to the show – and Nine – from her social media.
Dummy spit about the apparent demotion? Who can say? Well, Nine could… but they have so far refused to comment on what the future holds for Walsh at the network.
But that leaves the burning question: who’s replacing her?
The reporter joining all-round TV nice guy Clint Stanaway on the Weekend Today couch is highly regarded one-time A Current Affair reporter Alison Piotrowski.
My sources say she is ‘locked in’ for the job, after Walsh had been largely absent from the weekend breakfast couch since returning to work this year.
Instead, she has been busy presenting Nine’s national morning news and Sydney afternoon bulletins following outgoing anchor Davina Smith‘s move to Queensland and shift to the A Current Affair team.
It’s something of a shock switch given Walsh had only just been installed as host of Weekend Today last August after replacing Jayne Azzopardi, who herself had only been in the role little more than 18 months after replacing Brooke Boney.
One network insider jokingly called the staff reshuffle ‘Today’s big Ali-Oop’. It is said to be a response, orchestrated by head of morning TV Steve ‘Burlo’ Burling, to Matt Doran‘s departure from Seven’s Weekend Sunrise late last year.
Piotrowski had earned plaudits for filling in on Today over the summer non-ratings period. This followed her impressive tenure as the network’s Los Angeles-based foreign correspondent, which ended in December.
The versatile reporter, who first joined the network as a producer on A Current Affair in 2009, attracted the attention of Nine top brass during her coverage of the U.S presidential election last year.
Nine insiders suggested her polished performance was so good that she even outshone Karl Stefanovic and the recently departed Liz Hayes, who were also broadcasting live from Washington, D.C.
Of course, Piotrowski’s ascension since her return to Australia hardly comes as a surprise to us in here at Inside Mail – we’ve been saying this was on the cards for months.
In fact, we told you just five weeks ago:
‘According to our spies at Denison St, it’s been a different network star [and not just Sam Armytage] who’s been on everyone’s lips this past week, with Nine’s recently returned U.S. correspondent Alison Piotrowski impressing while co-hosting Today over the weekend.
‘We hear she’s shaping up as one to watch in 2025. You heard it here first.’
Are we geniuses or are we geniuses?
Our Nine insiders said the channel’s LA bureau is now shaping up as the network’s new ‘star factory’ with both Piotrowski and fellow gun presenter Amelia Adams both using the U.S. posting as a springboard to higher-profile roles.
‘What this is all showing is the number of superstars coming out of LA,’ one well-placed Nine source tells me.
‘Amelia had an incredible run as foreign correspondent and is now seriously turning heads since joining 60 Minutes.
‘Now we’ve got Ali, who was always good, but is just operating at another level since gaining that international experience.
‘The latest person we’ve sent over to LA is Lauren Tomasi and she’s killing it and throwing herself at everything and is already destined to be the next big star to come out of there.’
Nine spies say top brass have high hopes for the Piotrowski-Stanaway pairing, and believe they could be a serious contender against Seven in the lucrative TV timeslot.
‘The viewers already like Clint – he’s TV’s Mr Nice Guy,’ one of my insiders said.
‘Clint’s the guy next door that everyone wants over for a barbecue and he works his absolute heart out.
‘He’s as much a producer as he is a reporter and presenter and is never afraid to get his hands dirty – that’s why the bosses love him and his colleagues love him too.’
There have already been promising signs Today is on the ascendancy in the lead-up to the start of the ratings year.
But we’re hearing there are even more changes afoot, so expect a few more surprises in the weeks ahead, including the official announcement on Alex Cullen‘s replacement as Today’s weekday sports presenter.
So stay tuned.
Read this week’s edition of Inside Mail here
