Daily Telegraph admits Today show story was wrong and apologises to Nine host Georgie Gardner
News Corp’s Sydney tabloid, The Daily Telegraph, has retracted its story claiming Nine’s Today breakfast show had been subject to scathing focus group reviews and apologised to host Georgie Gardner who was described as an ‘ice queen’ in the story.
Thursday’s story triggered a furious reaction from Nine with news boss Darren Wick describing the article as “one of the most deliberate acts of bullying I’ve ever seen” and branding the story a “fabrication” and “irresponsible reporting”.
Two days after piece appeared on page 7 of Thursday’s Daily Telegraph, the paper admitted the story was untrue, writing: “The Daily Telegraph withdraws the claims, which we accept were wrong.
“The Telegraph has a commitment to accurate journalism and in this case we have let our readers and Ms Gardner down.”
Nine welcomed the apology and the Daily Telegraph’s retraction, telling Mumbrella: “We appreciate them addressing the issue and correcting false reports.” News had no further comment when approached about the story.
In the original story, the Daily Telegraph claimed Nine’s research to discover why the revamped Today show’s ratings were struggling had found focus groups highlighted the lack of chemistry between hosts Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight with participants describing the show’s banter as being “forced”.
The article went onto claim audiences were not “loving Georgie” and “they find her cold, an ice maiden.”
On the morning the story appeared in the Daily Telegraph’s print edition, Nine released a furious rebuttal of the piece. Wick stated in the network’s release: “Nine’s position is that this is an outrageous, false, reckless and defamatory attack on Georgie Gardner and the Today Show. The claim by the Daily Telegraph reporter that Nine has conducted focus groups this year is wrong. We haven’t as yet commissioned any focus groups for the Today Show, let alone held them in 2019.”
“The allegations from the article that Georgie Gardner was perceived as an ‘Ice Maiden’ and is somehow responsible for the poor numbers of the show this year is a fabrication and irresponsible reporting.”
Wick claimed the network had run a number of focus groups in late 2018 with the feedback being positive towards Gardner.
Following Nine’s furious reaction, a News Corp spokesperson told Mumbrella they “were reviewing the issue.”
The Today show has been struggling since Gardner and Knight replaced controversial host Karl Stephanovic in a shake up of the show at the beginning of the year.
Since the revamped line up started five weeks ago, Today has fallen further behind rival Seven’s morning show, Sunrise. On Monday this week, The Today Show had a metro audience of 168,000, versus Sunrise’s 287,000. On Tuesday, the numbers were 188,000 and 273,000 respectively. On Wednesday, Today Show’s metro audience was 182,000, compared to 227,000.
Today’s travails continued later in the week with Thursday’s show attracting 204,000 viewers to Sunrise’s 299,000 while Friday saw Today’s audience dip to 165,000 against Sunrise’s 298,000.
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So either:
1. The Daily Telegraph is no better than New Idea when it comes to making up stories.
2. The story was mostly true but Nine threatened to pull advertising unless DT apologised.
3. The story was mostly untrue and Nine threatened defamation action.
4. All of the above.
It’s also interesting to note that while Nine bagged out the DT’s report it had numerous chances to defend and back its Today team and presenters but failed to do so.
At the very least, shouldn’t the journo who wrote it be fired? #FakeNewsLtd.
I still believe that two female hosts are wrong choice. Georgie was desperate to host a program when she left the today show after reading the news to spend more time with her family. How things change. Anyway I won’t watch the show until they replaced. I hope the ratings continues to go lower.
Just love Georgie Gardiner and Debbie Knight ..a huge improvment !!!
I think Georgie Gardiner and Debbie Knight are doing a wonderful job … a great improvement on the past
Love the morning Today Show,everyone is great.I think everyone got sick of Karl’s smart attitude and jokes,channel 9 needed a change and I think it’s for the better.Congratulations everyone.
What a tawdry rag the Daily Telegraph is. Guttersnipe journalism at its worst.
Ive always loved Geogie Gardener better than previous hosts
I liked the old team. All channel 9 did was changed the team. What they need to do is change the format. Let loose the ties, get away from the desk. Be more relaxed, be
one of us in the morning. BE COOL. Don’t care about the men in suits. NINE GO COOL & RELAXED. I am a channel 9 person.
Daily Telegraph is a sick joke.
A news organisation printing what was at best case opinion, at worst case lies and passing it off as a factual news story. Who would have thunk it?
Did enjoy the Carl Lisa dynamic after lisa moved on it did seem tired like the suit Carl wore he did scate close to the edge at times in these days of correctness I’ve had two instances where I have been told I am not your darling and I am not a madam or a prostitute wonder how it would have gone down with all the aunts ,friends, and strangers to me at my dads club when at 9 yrs old I retorted I’ME NOT Y’R DARLING!
Damage has been done and this is a Sh*t apology. They chuck a small piece deep inside the paper after the headline was front and centre.
Disgraceful once again.
In all the coverage of this spat I have yet to hear who wrote the story. Does anyone know whose byline was on the offending story?
So the question is now, where did the Daily Terrorgraph source its information in the first place? Why did they not apply some basic journalism and check with Nine before writing the story? I suspect these are rhetorical questions. I think we know this poor excuse for a newspaper has descended into New Idea territory.
Mr Windle, the University of Parramatta, Wagga Wagga campus, has a vacancy in their grammar department that might be right up your alley.
I was getting quite sick of Karl. Silly banter is no substitute for acting with aplomb, something the girls do very well. I find it hard 2 listen 2 Sunrise, more for the aggravating voices. Cant listen to Kochy cos his voice annoys me,as did Kevin Rudd. They’re probably smart people, but I’ll never know lol
I love the new 9 line up – Debbie and Georgie great together