Deb Knight shakes up new-look Today
THE revamped Today Show has debuted with Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner as co-hosts, as the show desperately battles to win back viewers after axing Karl Stefanovic.
But viewers have so-far savaged the new line-up.
Knight has joined Gardner as the new co-host of Nine's breakfast TV program, which has been relaunched with a live broadcast from Melbourne for the Australian Open.
Within an hour of the show airing, some viewers savaged it as "boring", "overbearing" and that the new-look panel "doesn't work", while others praised the new ensemble-style line-up as "refreshing" and "empowering" on Twitter and in Instagram comments.
HUGE show this morning - PM Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, tennis greats Jim Courier & Lleyton Hewitt, James Reyne performing live...oh and this new crew! Join us from Melbourne Park for @TheTodayShow pic.twitter.com/e7oYoS7uef
— Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) 13 January 2019
"Good morning and welcome to Melbourne Park on this, the very first day of a new era of tennis on Nine, and you might've noticed a new look Today Show with a new team," Gardner said, in her opening address to viewers at 5.30am.
"And I'm thrilled to say good morning and welcome to my on-screen partner, Deb Knight."
Knight added that Garner was her "partner in crime" before introducing the rest of the team.
"Thankfully I'm not the only one on the desk who feels like the first day of school," Knight joked.
"I have new members of the team - and welcome to Tom Steinfort and Brooke Boney and Tony Jones," she added.
NEW-LOOK TODAY SHOW
Today's all-new line-up features Steinfort as the show's newsreader, replacing Sylvia Jeffreys who left the role in a massive shake-up last year.
Entertainment reporter Boney replaced veteran presenter Richard Wilkins, who was moved to Today Extra.
Welcome to Melbourne, and welcome to our new look #9Today show! pic.twitter.com/GlYnPAbMDr
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) 13 January 2019
It includes sports presenter Jones, who replaced Sydney-based Tim Gilbert.
Today will broadcast from Melbourne for the next two weeks as part of Nine's first time broadcasting the Australian Open, before returning to its studio based in Sydney.
There were no changes to the Today set as yet, as the show is being broadcast on-site from outside Melbourne Park.
The first episodefeatures interviews with Oscar-nominee Margot Robbie, PM Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and Australian actor Luke Bracey, and discussed the day's major news stories including the controversy over proposed pill testing at festivals, while Knight quizzed Morrison over his sneakers photoshop controversy.
The overhaul of the embattled program came after Stefanovic was dumped while overseas on his honeymoon with new wife, Jasmine Yarbrough.
It all started with the exit of former Today executive producer Mark Calvert after five years in the role, as rumours circulated about "tension" with then-host Stefanovic.
Stefanovic was dramatically sacked in December, while he was overseas with new wife Jasmine Yarbrough, after a string of negative publicity over his personal life.
