's Today show inner circle is facing a nervous wait as Channel Nine weighs a dramatic overhaul that could see fan favourites and Danika Mason shown the door.
Nines Today Show Overhaul: Melbourne Move Possible
Karl Stefanovic's Today show inner circle is facing a nervous wait as Channel Nine weighs a dramatic overhaul that could see fan favourites Richard Wilkins and ...
As the network scrambles to fill the void left by Stefanovic's axing, insiders have revealed a top-secret plan that would see the Today show relocate to as part of a sweeping reboot aimed at reviving the struggling breakfast franchise.
, the proposal would see the Today show rebuilt around Syrian-born Sarah Abo - who grew up in Melbourne - when a major relaunch gets underway in 2027.
But the Melbourne relocation proposal is not a new idea.
It was first floated by legendary former Nine boss Sam Chisholm more than two decades ago, approximately one year after Stefanovic's rocky debut as a Today show host.
Now, it's understood the proposal is once again being seriously considered as anxious Nine executives leave no stone unturned in their bid to revive the fortunes of Australia's longest-running breakfast TV program.
As Channel Nine scrambles to fill the void left by Karl Stefanovic's axing, insiders have revealed a top-secret plan that would see the Today show relocate to Melbourne. Pictured: Axed Today host Karl Stefanovic and current host Sarah Abo in November 2025
Insiders say that the dramatic shift may trigger a staff reshuffle for those in front of and behind the camera.
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Among those understood to be under review is veteran entertainment editor Richard Wilkins, a Today show fixture for decades and one of Stefanovic's closest on-air allies.
Sports presenter Danika Mason is also said to be facing an uncertain future under the proposed overhaul.
However, Mason may have already mapped out her own exit strategy after revealing last week that she is .
'Because of Nine's inability to address this inequality, this talent imbalance, it has ended up with a program with one dominant personality surrounded by a support cast of beta personalities,' a TV executive told news.com.au.
'All of the cast, including Abo, will need to be re-marketed, repositioned, as a result. Only then can Nine hope to make inroads against Sunrise. It's got a big job ahead.'
Insiders also suggest it's a rare window of opportunity to tear up the existing format and reinvent the Today show from the ground up - with viewers .
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The once-dominant program now finds itself marooned in second place behind Seven's seemingly unstoppable Sunrise, with the ratings gap widening dramatically.
Karl's Today show inner circle is facing a nervous wait as Channel Nine weighs a dramatic overhaul that could see fan favourites Richard Wilkins (left) and Danika Mason (right) shown the door
As of last month, Sunrise was
Supporters of a Melbourne relocation argue the move would do more than simply breathe fresh life into the struggling franchise.
They believe it would help carve out a distinct identity for Today in the post-Stefanovic era, distancing the program from its biggest rival, Sunrise, which is also broadcast from Sydney.
Stefanovic abruptly resigned from the network after his interview with far-right figure Tommy Robinson, which he only to delete it hours later after facing backlash.
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In a statement to The Daily Mail, Channel Nine said that Stefanovic could not while also hosting his podcast.
The TV star, who has been a Nine stalwart for some 25 years, had six months and over $1million left to be paid on his 12-month contract.
Stefanovic and Nine are believed to have agreed to an undisclosed six-figure settlement as part of his termination package.
As for Abo, she has never had a bad word to say about Karl, at least not publicly, with no suggestion she ever leaked or briefed against him during their four years on Today - a display of loyalty that is vanishingly rare in the TV industry.
The Melbourne move was first floated by former Nine boss Sam Chisholm more than two decades ago, after Karl Stefanovic's rocky debut as a Today show host




