Channel Nine announce new Weekend Today host to star alongside Alison Piotrowski amid rumours network is preparing for life after Karl Stefanovic

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Michael Atkinson has been announced as the new co-host of Weekend Today.

Channel Nine announced on Friday that a father of three from Queensland will be the new co-host of the weekend edition of the popular breakfast show, joining Alison Piotrowski.

He joins the team permanently after a summer stint on the desk.

Atkinson expressed her excitement and pride at joining the Today show, calling it a program that many Australians rely on during their weekends. Having grown up in regional Queensland, where weekends are centered around family, sports, and staying informed, she feels a strong personal connection to the role.

I’ve always loved sports and how much it enriches our lives, so I’m thrilled to continue hosting rugby coverage on Stan Sport and enjoy live events. I’m also excited to start my new job as a co-host on Weekend Today.

I feel fortunate to work with such talented and wonderful people like Ali, Lizzie, and Dan, and the incredible team who work behind the scenes.

I’m so thrilled to welcome our newest team member! I’ve had a chance to connect with him, and I’m really excited about collaborating with him on future projects. He’s a fantastic addition, and I know we’ll accomplish great things together.

Michael quickly settled into his new role over the summer and has been a natural on the show. He’s passionate about sports, very well-informed, and has a great sense of humor. We’re excited to continue improving Weekend Today for our viewers in 2026, she said.

Atkinson started his career in media at age 29, working as a sports journalist and presenter for 9News in both the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

He’s also been a key contributor to major sports broadcasts on Nine’s Wide World of Sports, covering events like the Brisbane International and Suncorp Super Netball, and he’ll continue his work with Stan Sport.

This follows Clint Stanaway’s departure from Channel Nine’s Weekend Today and the network last September, after 25 years with the company.

He shared surprising news in a statement, explaining that he’d been managing a heavy workload and was trying to reduce it.

Clint explained that balancing his television work with his role on the Melbourne Nova breakfast show has been really demanding for the last two years.

I’ve recently become really enthusiastic about radio and plan to focus on it more in the future. I’m also hoping to achieve a healthier balance between my work and personal life.

Channel Nine is reportedly planning for Karl Stefanovic’s eventual departure and is considering significant changes to the Today show.

According to a source at Media Diary, Nine Network executives were intensely discussing and planning for Karl Stefanovic’s eventual replacement at the network’s headquarters in North Sydney.

Several leaders within the network believe the ‘Today’ show needs a complete redesign to compete with Channel Seven’s ‘Sunrise.’ They suggest abandoning the current format entirely and starting over to improve ratings.

This change is happening as Karl nears his twentieth anniversary hosting the second most popular breakfast television program in the nation.

Even with a series of well-known co-hosts like Jessica Rowe, Lisa Wilkinson, Allison Langdon, and Sarah Abo, the Today show has continued to lag behind Sunrise in ratings since Karl Stefanovic became host.

The new Weekend Today host star has some very unique ideas. 

In January, he spoke with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli about someone who had been accused of damaging a vital communication cable shortly before a cyclone was forecast to impact the state’s northern region.

‘I reckon it’s the lowest act any human could possibly do,’ the Premier said.

During an emergency, communication is critical. When someone damaged the cable by stealing copper, they endangered thousands of people in the northern suburbs of Townsville.

Michael fully agreed with Premier Crisafulli’s opinion and proposed a strange punishment of his own.

Premier, I think you’d be justified in restraining them with zip ties to a palm tree on the coast when the cyclone hits.

One eagle-eyed viewer filmed the exchange and uploaded a clip to TikTok.

People are reacting strongly to a news presenter’s report about a theft in Townsville. Apparently, someone stole copper, which caused a phone line outage.

They also mentioned the other presenter’s facial expressions, specifically how Lara Vella reacted to Michael’s comments.

Honestly, I was really glad to see Michael face consequences for his actions, and it looks like a lot of other people felt the same way. The comments on the video were overwhelmingly supportive of the punishment – it’s good to see accountability!

One viewer really enjoyed the presenter, saying they were fantastic and deserve their own show. They also praised the holiday presenters, finding them cheerful and funny.

Someone else agreed, saying it was the most typically Australian thing they’d heard all year.

One person perfectly captured what a lot of others were thinking, saying they loved the humor and wished there was more of it, and that a zip tie was definitely the right solution.

The reaction wasn’t entirely positive, as some people criticized the Nine star, accusing mainstream media of encouraging violence and vigilantism.

Another added: ‘That presenter was playing out some kind of personal fantasy live on air.’ 

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2026-02-06 01:05