{"id":715930,"date":"2026-06-05T01:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T01:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/715930\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T01:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T01:49:09","slug":"jayne-azzopardi-favourite-to-replace-sarah-abo-on-today-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/715930\/","title":{"rendered":"Jayne Azzopardi favourite to replace Sarah Abo on Today show"},"content":{"rendered":"

The program\u2019s regular newsreader is seen, say Nine insiders, as the best like-for-like substitute for Abo and lower risk than Today Extra co-host Sylvia Jeffreys who, executives fear, may suffer professionally from being paired with her sometimes OTT and loose-lipped brother-in-law Karl Stefanovic.<\/p>\n

While Stefanovic and Jeffreys have a good relationship Nine execs are said to be mindful of not linking their golden girl too closely to the Stefanovic brand.<\/p>\n

Additionally Jeffreys commands a higher salary than Azzopardi so it suits Nine\u2019s number crunchers to play to their strengths \u2013 and their budget \u2013 by tapping the newsreader for the mat leave role.<\/p>\n

Executives are said to be reluctant to bring in Samantha Armytage for more than a casual stint on the breakfast show \u2013 possibly to promote the launch of season 2 of The Golden Bachelor which returns to air later in the year.<\/p>\n

This is as much due to Armytage\u2019s princely rate as well as mediocre ratings that have plagued the projects she has hosted <\/a>during her much-hyped stint with Nine.<\/p>\n

Following the softening of Nine\u2019s news ratings and the poor reception given new latest family entertainment offering Shark!, Nine bosses are under renewed pressure to shore up ratings. <\/p>\n

Abo meanwhile is expected to take maternity leave next month.<\/p>\n

A Nine rep declined to comment when approached.<\/p>\n

BEAUTY QUEEN\u2019S BIG MOVE<\/p>\n

Beauty entrepreneur Shelley Sullivan has taken a serious step towards growing her beauty fortune by recruiting one of the nation\u2019s most in-demand accountants.<\/p>\n

Eighteen months after selling out of MCoBeauty, the beauty brand she founded that was later valued at a billion dollars, Sullivan has entrusted her fortune to James Packer\u2019s lieutenant Lawrence Myers.<\/p>\n

Myers is billionaire Packer\u2019s adviser and chief executive of his private investment vehicle Consolidated Press Holdings.<\/p>\n

According to well-placed sources Sullivan brought Myers on board some months ago after finally separating her financial interests from those of her ex-husband Anthony Sullivan, her former accountant and business partner in MCoBeauty.<\/p>\n

Anthony splurged on a $41 million waterfront house in Kirribilli last year, his cash purchase generating column inches and symbolically ringing in a new chapter in his life following his recent divorce from Sullivan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sullivan meanwhile looks to be playing a longer game in real estate after becoming the rumoured buyer of a $20 million grand homestead, Element Hill<\/a>, on Hamilton Island at the start of the year and expressing a desire to buy a trophy home in one of Sydney\u2019s most affluent suburbs.<\/p>\n

Myers too has been investing in real estate.<\/p>\n

He and wife Sylvia offloaded their Rose Bay mansion before Christmas for $85 million after buying a Barangaroo Crown penthouse for around $70 million that same year.<\/p>\n

Myers\u2019 other current clients include fashion label Cue founder Rod Levis and he formerly advised fashion retailer Mark Keighery of Marcs fashion label and investor and art collector (and one-time Mr Annaliese Braakensiek) Danny Goldberg.<\/p>\n

MARKS OFF FOR HOLLYWOOD HUGH<\/p>\n

ABC managing director \u201cHollywood\u201d Hugh Marks has been criticised for speaking at the public memorial for presenter James Valentine <\/a>with ABC insiders saying it was inappropriate.<\/p>\n

Sources close to Valentine say Marks\u2019 appearance at the memorial was \u201ctin-eared\u201d given he admits he didn\u2019t know the broadcaster.<\/p>\n

Just hours before the May 29 appearance, the media executive was dragged over the coals at a Senate estimates meeting over the shock departure of ABC news director Justin Stevens and Marks\u2019s hush-hush recruitment of successor Simon Robinson.<\/p>\n

A day later Marks stepped onto the stage at Sydney Town Hall to address a capacity audience including Valentine\u2019s family and friends, a congregation of devoted listeners and some unimpressed longtime ABC staffers.<\/p>\n

The assembly packed the historic civic centre to celebrate the beloved broadcaster, host of ABC702\u2019s afternoon radio program, former Models\u2019 saxophonist and a long-time member of the national broadcaster\u2019s staff, who died via voluntary assisted dying in April two years after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.<\/p>\n

With the ABC news director appointment dominating the news cycle in the preceding 48 hours and media outlets rounding on Marks claiming he\u2019d \u201cseized control\u201d of the ABC newsroom, many interpreted the executive\u2019s appearance at the memorial \u2013 alongside Valentine\u2019s children and popular singers Paul Kelly, Kate Ceberano and Jimmy Barnes, as well as ABC broadcasters \u2013 as \u201ctin-eared\u201d.<\/p>\n

This was despite Valentine\u2019s son Roy acknowledging in his speech that the ABC had played a major role in organising the 90-minute memorial.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad would be shocked that the ABC could organise this,\u201d Roy Valentine conceded prompting laughter from the audience.<\/p>\n

Marks opened his address by broadly addressing the rough reception he has received while attempting to transform the ABC\u2019s culture during his first year in the job.<\/p>\n

During his short tenure he has presided over the axing of 50 digital staff, axed TV program Q&A and raised the prospect of cancelling other \u201clegacy\u201d shows, something likely to result in more job losses, and rejected a bid for improved pay and conditions from unionised staff leading to strike action, the first in 20 years at the national broadcaster.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so lovely to be in a room full of love today. Isn\u2019t it wonderful. I wish I was in more rooms of love all the time,\u201d Marks opened.<\/p>\n

His follow-up comment \u2013 about the props on stage at the Town Hall \u2013 fell flat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do want to know, as a family \u2013 sorry, I\u2019m looking at the clothesline here with the matching clothes and pegs \u2013 how you allowed this to happen. Frankly, that would not last in my house. It\u2019s a tribute to James and his personality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The problem was the props weren\u2019t a tribute to Valentine at all.<\/p>\n

The clothesline \u2013 hung with clothing attached by pegs in the same colour \u2013 was in fact a nod to the quirky annoying obsessions reported by Valentine\u2019s listeners in his popular This Is What I Live With radio segment.<\/p>\n

Memorial MC Richard Glover kicked off proceedings explaining the relevance of the household props \u2013 among which was also a couch covered in throw cushions.<\/p>\n

This was seemingly lost on Marks.<\/p>\n

After conceding he hadn\u2019t personally known Valentine, the ABC MD rolled into his pitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to think of the ABC as a national institution. And as a national institution it\u2019s really nothing but the sum of its people \u2013 of course all the people who work at the ABC now, but just as importantly all of the people who have shaped and influenced the ABC over the years. We all benefit from that legacy of work,\u201d he said in a comment that seemed at odds with earlier statements he has made concerning the broadcaster\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n

He then signed off by bungling Valentine\u2019s children\u2019s names and calling Ruby and Roy Valentine \u201cRuby and James\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Thursday an ABC spokeswoman said Marks was included in the ceremony\u2019s running order at the request of the events team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe corporate events team that produced \u2018A Celebration of Life: James Valentine AM\u2019 suggested either Hugh Marks as ABC managing director of Kim Williams as ABC chair speak on behalf of the ABC, given James\u2019 30 years of service to the ABC,\u201d the spokeswoman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt no time did either Mr Marks or Mrs Williams suggest speaking at the memorial.\u201d<\/p>\n

SECURITY UPGRADE FOR CRANBROOK<\/p>\n

Prestigious former Sydney boys schools Cranbrook, alma mater of Kerry Packer, David Gyngell and Norman Gunston (aka actor Garry McDonald), is in the midst of a major security upgrade following the arrival of the first intake of female students at the start of the year.<\/p>\n

This column hears a team has been working around the clock installing CCTV cameras near locker rooms, toilets and in corridors to reduce the likelihood of \u201cuntoward cohabitation\u201d between male and female students<\/p>\n

In January the school welcomed its first intake of girls into years 7 and 11. <\/a><\/p>\n

By 2029 the school will be fully co-ed.<\/p>\n

While its unclear whether there have been any antics that may have necessitated the need for greater surveillance in the school\u2019s common areas, sources say the school executive has recognised the potential for such antics to occur.<\/p>\n

With them, the executive fears, could also come the risk of threatened legal action from some of Sydney\u2019s richest parents, a number of whom were resolutely against the school going co-ed in the first place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The program\u2019s regular newsreader is seen, say Nine insiders, as the best like-for-like substitute for Abo and lower…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":715931,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[347382,347387,347403,297081,2095,347398,347397,64,63,689,347373,347374,347400,347401,347395,347376,163408,125284,485,347394,347389,320715,347396,347408,347417,347393,347380,134,347402,20512,129084,132380,347390,347410,347378,347419,347407,1973,124131,347385,206806,36083,9618,152836,12304,281334,108851,60503,347381,347416,347399,266384,41639,347414,118425,347409,347411,347375,673,208655,152837,347415,347384,347379,2041,2067,347418,677,347388,347391,238797,340080,347386,347405,1003,347383,234572,347406,347404,347413,347412,670,131774,78204,347377,347392,427,2614],"class_list":["post-715930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-abc-md","tag-advised-fashion-retailer","tag-afternoon-radio-program","tag-alma-mater","tag-america","tag-anthony-sullivan","tag-art-collector","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-beauty-brand","tag-beauty-entrepreneur","tag-beauty-fortune","tag-bellevue-hill","tag-beloved-broadcaster","tag-boys-schools","tag-breakfast-show","tag-business-partner","tag-california","tag-capacity-audience","tag-chef-sat","tag-consolidated-press-holdings-ltd","tag-corporate-events-team","tag-cranbrook-school","tag-danny-goldberg","tag-david-gyngell","tag-digital-staff","tag-entertainment","tag-estimates-meeting","tag-family-entertainment","tag-fashion-label","tag-female-students","tag-garry-mcdonald","tag-generating-column","tag-glover-picture","tag-golden-girl","tag-grand-homestead","tag-hollywood","tag-hugh-marks","tag-in-demand-accountants","tag-james-valentine","tag-jimmy-barnes","tag-job-losses","tag-justin-stevens","tag-karl-stefanovic","tag-kate-cerberano","tag-kerry-packer","tag-kim-williams","tag-kirribilli","tag-lawrence-myers","tag-mark-keighery","tag-mat-leave-role","tag-maternity-leave","tag-media-executive","tag-media-outlets","tag-national-broadcaster","tag-national-institution","tag-near-locker-rooms","tag-new-south-wales","tag-news-cycle","tag-news-director","tag-news-director-appointment","tag-news-ratings","tag-norman-gunston","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-number-crunchers","tag-oceania","tag-on-screen-antics","tag-ough-annoying-obsessions","tag-paul-lawrence-kelly","tag-pete-evans","tag-presenter-james-valentine","tag-private-investment-vehicle","tag-real-estate","tag-regular-newsreader","tag-richard-glover","tag-school-executive","tag-show-anchor","tag-simon-robinson","tag-staff-leading","tag-sydney","tag-sylvia-jeffreys","tag-terminal-cancer","tag-throw-cushions","tag-trophy-home","tag-tv","tag-united-states-of-america"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/715930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=715930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/715930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/715931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=715930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=715930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=715930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}