Channel Nine veteran Peter Overton has weighed in on the rumoured Today show shake-up.
Rumors are circulating that the popular breakfast show is planning major changes, and that Samantha Armytage might take over the role currently held by co-host Sarah Abo.
Despite Nine’s big Upfronts event in Sydney on Wednesday, where many of the network’s top personalities were present, reports about potential changes to the ‘Today’ show almost stole the spotlight.
Peter told the Daily Mail he wasn’t paying attention to the rumors, preferring to wait for an official announcement.
‘I don’t engage in rumour, only news,’ the 60 Minutes star said.
The query was also put to Today Extra host Sylvia Jeffreys, who had a rather awkward reply.
The 39-year-old told the Daily Mail they were confident they could talk to their managers, and then quickly left.
Abo expertly avoided talking to reporters on the red carpet, walking into the event with a reserved smile.
The TV host also made sure to avoid Armytage, hurrying inside to quickly meet up with her colleagues from the Today show.
According to a report in The Australian newspaper over the weekend, there’s a possibility that Abe may be replaced by Samantha Armytage as the host of the popular show.
Nine hopes to repeat past success with its new talent, referencing a ratings boost ‘Sunrise’ experienced when Samantha Armytage joined the show in 2013.
After leaving Sunrise in 2021, Armytage took on leadership roles with Farmer Wants A Wife and is now working on the new show, The Golden Bachelor.
As a big fan of Today, I’ve been hearing all the rumors about what’s happening with Karl Stefanovic and whether David Koch is leaving. When The Australian asked Nine CEO Matt Stanton directly if Natalie Barr would be joining Karl as a co-host, he didn’t really answer the question! He was super vague, which just adds fuel to the fire and makes me think something’s definitely going on behind the scenes.
I’m unfamiliar with the specifics, to be honest. I haven’t looked at that level of detail,” Stanton said.
Abo joined Today in 2023, replacing outgoing host Allison Langdon.
Langdon revealed she was leaving her previous position in 2022. She then became the host of A Current Affair, taking over from Tracy Grimshaw, who had hosted the show for many years.
According to The Australian, one reason Abo is changing jobs is because they recently asked for a raise.
Stefanovic recently received a lucrative, long-term contract offer from Nine, but the network is still monitoring how well Karl is performing in terms of viewership.
According to a report in The Australian in June, the breakfast show host has secured a contract worth $3 million annually.
Mediaweek reports that Abo earns $800,000 annually, which demonstrates a significant difference in pay compared to his counterpart, revealing a gender pay gap.
The planned changes have sparked a lot of discussion online, particularly on Media Spy, where many viewers believe it would be a mistake for Nine to replace Abo with Armytage as host of Today.
‘Karlos and Sarah are just fine atm. No need to change,’ one offered.
Another suggested there had already been too many personnel changes announced at the network.
Honestly, as someone who watches ‘Today’ regularly, what it *really* needs right now is some stability. We’ve seen shifts in the sports coverage and are hearing about a whole new team for ‘Weekend Today’ next year – it feels like a lot of change all at once, and I think viewers just want something consistent.
‘Changing out Sarah is not necessary. I don’t believe it will help the ratings.’
There’s concern the plan could hurt Nine, particularly if the new show, The Golden Bachelor, hosted by Armytage, doesn’t attract a large audience.
They’re hesitant to feature Sam in their show because of the risk involved with *The Golden Bachelor*. If the show doesn’t perform well, having her appear on *Today* could be awkward.
Others were quick to claim that Armytage would be a perfect addition to the Today team.
‘I for one would love to see Sam back on morning television,’ a viewer offered.
‘Her fun personality and versatile ability as a host makes her perfect for the format.’
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2025-10-16 02:51