Georgie Gardener mysteriously disappeared from her 9News desk on Thursday night after making headlines for her off-script farewell to Amber Sherlock this week.
The veteran presenter, 55, has been filling in for Peter Overton since the start of the week after he suffered a series of injuries from a recent fall.Â
However, she was notably absent during the 6pm bulletin on Thursday, with weekend newsreader Deb Knight occupying her seat.Â
Mark Burrows will also be filling in for her on Friday and Saturday night, a seat Gardner usually holds while Overton, 59, is rostered off.Â
Daily Mail has reached out to Nine for comment.Â
Gardner confirmed the departure of weather presenter Amber Sherlock from Channel Nine this week with a sensational off-script moment.Â
Georgie Gardener, 55, mysteriously disappeared from her 9News desk on Thursday night while she was meant to be filling in for Peter Overton, 59
Gardner made the comments in the closing minutes of the 9News evening bulletin, confirming Nine’s worst kept secret.
Deviating from her usual news script, Gardner wished Sherlock, 49, a farewell and referred to her as ‘valued member’ of the team.
‘Before we go tonight, we’d like to extend a farewell to our colleague Amber Sherlock,’ Gardner began.
‘For a number of years, Amber has been a valued member of the news team, bringing us our daily weather reports on behalf of Nine News.
‘I’d like to thank Amber for her contribution, and we wish her and her family all the very best.’
Gardner then returned to her standard sign-off, saying: ‘That is 9News for this Wednesday. Ali’s next with the Current Affair. I’m Georgie Gardner.’
The following day, Sherlock broke her silence on her long-rumoured exit from the network, taking a sly jab at Nine for their recent slew of layoffs.Â
She shared a lengthy message to Instagram, reminiscing over her ‘nearly 20 years’ at Nine as she commended her 9News co-stars Overton and James Bracey.
Just a few days earlier, she had made headlines for her off-script farewell to Amber Sherlock, 49, who recently left the network
Gardner was notably absent during the 6pm bulletin on Thursday, with weekend newsreader Deb Knight, 52, occupying her seat
Sherlock included a photo alongside her message, showing her smiling as she posed with the two presenters.
But the most telling part of her send-off came just after she paid tribute to her Melbourne weather counterpart, Livinia Nixon, who left the network last week.
‘It seems like it’s the end of an era for dedicated 6pm weather presenters as “streamlining” seems to be the prevailing forecast,’ she said.
‘Good luck to whoever is brave enough to tackle the new BOM website.’