Channel Nine slams rumours Georgie Gardner was ‘reluctant’ to host Bondi terror attack coverage

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Channel Nine has denied reports that Georgie Gardner, the weekend news anchor, was hesitant to lead the continuous coverage of Sunday’s terror attack in Bondi.

This week, reports emerged that the experienced broadcaster initially expressed concern to producers about whether interrupting regular TV shows to cover the tragic event could be seen as overly sensational or fear-mongering, before she started presenting Nine’s coverage.

A spokesperson for the network told Daily Mail there was no basis to the claim.

A Hanukkah celebration in Australia was tragically targeted on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl. Forty others were injured in what is now considered Australia’s second-deadliest mass shooting.

Police quickly identified the suspected shooters as Sajid Akram, a 50-year-old father, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram.

Police fatally shot Sajid, and Naveed is in the hospital recovering from gunshot injuries. Naveed faces 59 charges.

News Corp reported that producers at Nine were considering cancelling Sunday’s regular shows to focus on the events unfolding in Bondi. However, Gardner reportedly worried that doing so might seem overly sensational or create unnecessary panic.

A Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail that the network prides itself on providing accurate, up-to-date, and factual reporting across all its news platforms – including television, radio, and publications – but stated the Daily Mail’s story about them was inaccurate.

Georgie is a highly respected and seasoned news presenter in Australia. She provided calm and empathetic coverage during a shocking and previously unseen terrorist attack.

Georgie received fantastic support from a dedicated team of journalists, camera operators, editors, producers, and crew members – both on location, in the studio, and throughout the city, they added.

While filling in for Pete Overton, who was on vacation, Gardner reported on the news that the Hanukkah celebration in Bondi had been targeted at 6:40 PM.

Nine was the last major news outlet to begin continuous coverage of the Bondi attack, starting at 7:36 pm. They had initially reported the incident in a news bulletin at 6:57 pm.

Rival Seven first reported the story at 7:24 PM. Sky News began its coverage at 7:00 PM, and the ABC followed with its live report at 7:30 PM.

Georgie Gardner presents the 6pm news on Fridays and Saturdays for Nine News in Sydney.

Gardner joined the network in 2002. 

She began her career with National Nine News Morning Edition in 2006, taking over from Leila McKinnon, and later spent eight years working on the Today show.

She left her role at Today in 2014 to spend more time with her family.

In 2018, she replaced Lisa Wilkinson as co-host of Today alongside Karl Stefanovic.

She later co-hosted the show with Deborah Knight in 2019.

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2025-12-19 02:35