Georgie Gardner Ascends To The ‘Today’ Iron Throne Vacated By Lisa Wilkinson

Georgie Gardner Today

After over a month of speculation following the sudden exit of Today‘s co-anchor Lisa Wilkinson, her replacement has finally been announced. Journo Georgie Gardner, who spent seven years as news presenter on the show, will be occupying Wilkinson’s vacant seat next to Karl Stefanovic.

The 46-year-old appeared on the breakfast show this morning to announce the happy news, calling it a “pinch me” moment.

It’s an enormous privilege, and it’s a huge decision which I took very seriously. I consulted with the family greatly. I’m really deeply honoured to take this on. There’s no bigger, better gig in Australian tv. To hopefully reconnect with viewers in every corner of this country…it’s the most extraordinary opportunity. It’s not lost on me.

GG, as she is known to her m8s on Today, left the show in 2014 to concentrate on raising kids Bronte, 12 and Gus, 10, but the SMH reports that she was wooed back by Nine CEO Hugh Marks who “sweetened the deal with a payrise”.

She paid tribute to her predecessor, Wilkinson, who will begin a new role on Channel Ten in the new year.

[They are] big shoes to fill. I know acutely how much love and respect there has been for Lisa, and she will always be part of the Today show landscape.

Wilkinson took to Twitter to congratulate her successor, and it’s all kinds of lovely.

During this morning’s brief appearance, Gardner joked with her new co-host Stefanovic about long-standing rumours that they don’t get along. “Are you still predictably unpredictable?” she asked him. “I can deal with that.” 

Gardner will take on her new role from January 2018.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV