Channel Nine is quietly reshuffling the deck at Today once again, with veteran reporter Mike Willesee Jr. set to be removed from the breakfast show as the network trials a fresh on-air pairing next week.
In a move sure to spark speculation about the program’s long-term direction, former Farmer Wants A Wife host Samantha Armytage will join respected 60 Minutes journalist Tom Steinfort at the desk while regular co-host Sarah Abo is away on maternity leave.
The temporary partnership marks a return to breakfast television for Armytage and reunites Steinfort with a role he knows well.
Before becoming one of 60 Minutes’ most recognisable faces, Steinfort served as Today’s newsreader during the Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner era in 2019, making him a familiar figure to the show’s viewers.
According to industry insiders, Steinfort is highly regarded by Nine management and remains a popular member of the Today team behind the scenes, with executives optimistic he and Armytage will strike the right chemistry on air.
The pairing is expected to be closely watched by network bosses, particularly as breakfast television remains one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds.
Channel Nine is quietly reshuffling the deck at Today once again, with veteran reporter Mike Willesee Jr. set to be removed from the breakfast show as the network trials a fresh on-air pairing next week. Pictured with fill-in co-host Sam Armytage
While Nine is understood to be treating the arrangement as a temporary hosting solution, the chemistry between Armytage and Steinfort will inevitably come under scrutiny as executives continue searching for ways to improve the breakfast program’s ratings performance.
Fill-in hosts Armytage and Willesee have been the subject of strong criticism from viewers this week, with some describing the pair as ‘drab and boring’.
‘Really turned me off my breakfast seeing Sam on Today,’ one person wrote.
‘I turned back to TODAY but no, new hosts [are] shockers. Love Jayne and Danika [Mason], Tim [Davies], and Dickie [Richard Wilkins]. Back to ABC,’ said another.
‘I flicked back to Nine this morning after weeks of watching Sunrise since Karl left. No joke, I lasted five secs before I turned it off. Can’t stand Samantha Armytage,’ a third commented.
‘Can somebody pls inform me when Sam is no longer on so I can switch back,’ someone else said.
‘What in the world am I watching. I usually watch Sunrise, but due to the Comm Games have switched to Today. Well what a shocking breakfast program,’ one user penned.
‘I have never watched anything so drab and boring in my life. None of your presenters have any connection with each other, They are like a bunch of strangers sitting at a table trying to make conversation. DULL DULL DULL.’
Samantha Armytage will join respected 60 Minutes journalist Tom Steinfort (pictured) at the desk while regular co-host Sarah Abo is away on maternity leave
The temporary partnership reunites Steinfort with a role he knows well. Before becoming one of 60 Minutes’ most recognisable faces, he served as Today’s newsreader during the Deborah Knight (centre) and Georgie Gardner (right) era in 2019
‘Get rid of these two, they are so boring,’ yet another agreed.
However, some viewers appeared to enjoy seeing Armytage and Willesee in the Today anchor seats.
‘Great pairing. Professional presentation and credible journalists,’ one said.
‘Mike W great presenter and knowledgeable journalist,’ another added.
‘Love Sam great to see her back on TV,’ a third noted.
This week’s ratings suggest Nine has yet to receive a boost from its rotating line-up of presenters as the network continues assessing talent for the breakfast program’s long-term future.
On Armytage’s first morning on Today on Monday, the show attracted 707,000 viewers compared to Sunrise’s 1.17million.
On Tuesday, Today recorded 654,000 viewers compared to 1.125million for Sunrise.
