Television

Jessica Rowe exits The Today Show   Author: eNews staff and agencies | May 7, 2007, 10:57

Poor Jessica Rowe has been boned by the Nine Network (not necessarily Eddie McGuire) simply because they didn't have the guts to do something earlier.

Nine was desperate to make sure than Ms Rowe's husband, Peter Overton of 60 Minutes, wasn't offended by the treatment meted out to his wife, so they tried to keep the whole unsavory process quiet and without rancor.

Nothing could be done so late Friday Nine decided to bite the bullet and tell Ms Rowe that she wasn't wanted back on the Today Show from May 21, when she was supposed to return from her maternity leave.

That was made public in a statement issued on Saturday night, just in time for the once over lightly Sunday papers who all went down the ‘boned’ route approach.

Of course Nine couldn't help but be its usual double dealing self. While it was negotiating with Ms Rowe it was talking to Lisa Wilkinson, who co-hosts Seven's Weekend Sunrise on Sunday mornings which is the most popular daytime chat program.

She has rejected an offer from Seven to co-host with Larry Emdur the 9 am post Sunrise program Seven is about to introduce to take on Nine's Mornings with Kerri-Anne Kennerley and 9 am with David and Kim on Ten.

Nine has also been chatting to Kelli Connolly who has been filling in the female co-host's chair at Today since Sarah Murdoch left (who didn't really set the world on fire).

Why Lisa Wilkinson would want a five day a week gig on Today when she found it tough thinking about the second Sunrise program is beyond me.

Her husband Peter Fitzsimmons already rises early five days a week to co-host the faltering breakfast program with Mike Carlton on AM station 2UE in Sydney.

Having two parents starting well before 4 am five mornings a week isn't good for children or a relationship. .

People at Today meanwhile are not very happy with the way Ms Rowe was white-anted by some people.

She did it tough at Nine and was publicly humiliated by Eddie McGuire and his mate Jeff Browne in the now infamous Mark Llewellyn affidavit.

She left Ten controversially but that was no reason for people at Nine to start undermining her almost immediately.

Ms Rowe was out of her depth on Today but that was as much a function of the move to hire her by former CEO, Sam Chisholm as anything.

The other thing Ms Wilkinson should remember is the instability at Today Show: Ms Rowe, Ms Murdoch and Ms Connolly and then her if she takes the bait being dangled by Nine.

Four female hosts in 18 months: that's a recipe for disaster if the ratings don't kick higher and quickly.

But why are the female hosts being changed. Should Karl Stefanovic’s performance be looked at or is he a protected species?

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