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You Won’t Believe Who’s Replacing Alex Cullen on the Today Show

BBG News

Channel Nine have officially unveiled Danika Mason as the new Today show sports presenter. 

Mason steps in as Alex Cullen‘s replacement following the dramatic dismissal due to his acceptance of $50,000 from The Block tycoon, Adrian Portelli.

The 33-year-old expressed delight in collaborating alongside Sarah Abo, Karl Stefanovic, Jayne Azzopardi, and Tim Davies at the Today desk, a moment they considered fulfilling a long-held dream.

She expressed profound gratitude and great enthusiasm about becoming part of Today. This aspiration has been with her since childhood, spending mornings watching the program while envisioning a career in sports broadcasting, as she shared in a statement to Daily Mail Australia.

10 years ago, I started my journey at Nine by producing sports for Today. Now, it feels like coming full circle to be here again.

I’m equally thankful for continuing to collaborate with the Wide World of Sports team on football each week, during the entire NRL season.

Additionally, it was disclosed that Alison Piotrowski, our U.S. correspondent, will be sharing the hosting duties for Weekend Today.

She will join Clint Stanaway, Lizzie Pearl and Dan Anstey on the desk.

After spending four years traveling from various time zones throughout North America to make it to the show, it’s a dreamlike experience for me to now wake up and find myself back home with Weekend Today in Australia, as Alison put it.

‘It’s an honour, and I can’t wait for the year ahead.’

Mason currently presents Wide World of Sports and is a sideline reporter for Nine’s NRL coverage.

Previously, it was disclosed by Daily Mail Australia that she was among the top contenders for the hosting position on the morning program, which belonged to Alex.

Additionally, Roz Kelly was a serious candidate, as a TV insider reported that both women were “very promising frontrunners” for the position.

Last month, hosts Stefanovic and Abo announced that Cullen wouldn’t be returning to the program. 

It’s important to note that for the last week, our esteemed colleague Alex Cullen hasn’t joined us on screen, as mentioned by a serious-toned Stefanovic in front of the audience.

It’s been widely discussed about the events leading up to it, but all I can confirm is that last night, Alex decided to part ways with the network.

For the past five years, Alex has been an integral member of our Today family, consistently bringing his warm smile, infectious laughter, and unwavering willingness to speak on behalf of us all. It’s undeniable that we will deeply miss him when he departs, without a doubt.

Alex is an outstanding individual, honest and genuine, who’s been an exceptional friend to everyone for many years. We extend our warmest wishes to Alex, his lovely spouse Bonnie, and their wonderful children, hoping they have a fantastic future ahead.

44-year-old Cullen received a $50,000 gift from Portelli, as he was the initial media figure to employ the moniker ‘McLaren Man’ during a live broadcast, which he had coined himself.

The controversy began when Portelli grew weary of his frequently used alias ‘Mr Lambo’. He proposed a monetary prize for the first individual who employed his fresh nickname during a live broadcast, which Cullen did on the Today program.

Subsequently, the Block’s business owner seemingly transferred $50,000 to the presenter via Instagram, as it seemed on their platform.

Violating journalistic integrity by accepting money, presents, or advantages that could compromise impartiality, and exploiting a journalistic post for personal advantage, are both considered unethical actions according to the ethical guidelines set forth by the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance union in the field of journalism.

Due to an unwise action, Cullen was temporarily removed from Nine’s lineup as they looked into a reported payment, which meant he was absent from the show during this period.

He was later axed from the program.

In simple terms, a representative from Channel Nine informed Daily Mail Australia that they had come to an agreement with Alex Cullen, one of their Today show presenters and journalists, that he would depart the network after a review concerning a recent event.

The sum has since been donated to charity by Portelli. 

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2025-02-28 01:34

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