Brand new Today show line-up revealed as Danika Mason is confirmed as Alex Cullen’s replacement after he was axed

Channel Nine have officially unveiled Danika Mason as the new Today show sports presenter. 

Mason is replacing Alex Cullen after he was was sensationally axed for accepting $50,000 from The Block billionaire Adrian Portelli.

The 33-year-old said it was a dream come true to be sharing the Today desk with Sarah Abo, Karl Stefanovic, Jayne Azzopardi and Tim Davies.

‘I’m truly honoured and so excited to be joining Today. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid, waking up every morning to watch the show as I set my sights on a career in sports broadcasting,’ she said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 

‘It’s also a full-circle moment for me at Nine because, just 10 years ago, my first-ever job at the network was producing sport for Today.

‘I’m also very grateful that I’ll still be working with the Wide World of Sports crew on the footy every week throughout the NRL season.’

Nine also revealed that US correspondent Alison Piotrowski has been appointed as co-host of Weekend Today.

She will join Clint Stanaway, Lizzie Pearl and Dan Anstey on the desk.

‘After four years of crossing to the show from weird time zones across North America, it feels surreal to be waking up with Weekend Today back home in Australia.,’ Alison said.

‘It’s an honour, and I can’t wait for the year ahead.’

Mason currently presents Wide World of Sports and is a sideline reporter for Nine’s NRL coverage.

Daily Mail Australia previously revealed she was one of the front runners for Alex’s presenting role on the breakfast show.

Roz Kelly was also in the running, with a TV insider revealing both female presenters are ‘really strong contenders’.

Last month, hosts Stefanovic and Abo announced that Cullen wouldn’t be returning to the program. 

‘As most of you are well aware, our colleague Alex Cullen has not been on air with us this past week,’ a solemn Stefanovic told viewers live on air.

‘There has been widespread reporting on the circumstances surrounding this, what I can say is that last night, Alex and Nine agreed that he would finish with the network.

‘Alex has, of course, been part of the Today family for five years now, he’s always ready with a smile and a laugh and without hesitation speaking for all of us here, we can say that we are going to miss him terribly, that’s for sure.

‘Alex is a terrific fella, what you see is what you get and he has been a great mate to all of us over these years and we wish Alex, his wife Bonnie and his beautiful kids all the very best for the future.’

Cullen, 44, was gifted $50,000 from Portelli after he was the first media personality to use his self-proclaimed nickname ‘McLaren Man’ live on air.

The scandal kicked off when Portelli had grown tired of his long-used nickname ‘Mr Lambo’ and offered the cash reward to the first person to use his new moniker on air, with Cullen obliging on the Today show.

The Block entrepreneur then posted what appeared to be a bank transfer of $50,000 to the presenter on Instagram.

Accepting cash, gifts or benefits to undermine journalistic independence, and improperly using a journalistic position for personal gain, are both breaches of the journalism code of ethics as defined by the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance union.

The ill-advised stunt led to Cullen being suspended by Nine and he did not appear on the show while the network investigated the payment.

He was later axed from the program.

A Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia at the time: ‘Nine has agreed with Today presenter and journalist Alex Cullen that he will finish with the network following a review into a recent incident.’ 

The sum has since been donated to charity by Portelli.