Channel 10 confirms legendary weatherman Tim Bailey WILL get a proper send-off after he appeared to be promptly replaced following his axe from the network
Channel 10 has confirmed that legendary weatherman Tim Bailey will be getting a final send-off after falling victim to the network’s brutal budget cuts.
It was initially feared that the 57-year-old’s career would not be celebrated after the network appeared to promptly replace him by a female weather presenter on 10 News first on Tuesday evening.
However, a 10 spokesperson has now told TV Tonight: ‘Tim is taking a break for the rest of this week and is on leave next week. His leave next week has been planned for some time.’
‘His leave is planned for next week’: Channel 10 has confirmed that legendary weatherman Tim Bailey will be getting a final send-off after falling victim to the network’s brutal budget cuts
It was continued by the spokesperson: ‘Tim has been a valuable member of the 10 team for many years. He and 10 are in discussions about when he will leave the network.
This comes after KIIS FM host Kyle Sandilands slammed the network for retiring the much-loved presenter after 30 years of service.
‘There is no other weatherman, at least in Australia, nearly as good, as passionate and as enjoyable to watch as Tim Bailey,’ Kyle said.
Tim enjoyed an illustrious career as the network’s roving reporter and weather guru, and has earned an army of fans since the early 1990s.
Icon: A 10 spokesperson has now told TV Tonight : ‘Tim is taking a break for the rest of this week and is on leave next week. His leave next week has been planned for some time’
Kyle went on to say that he was shocked Channel 10 appeared to axe the star effective immediately, as he wasn’t present on Tuesday’s 10 News First.
‘I tuned in to watch his final bulletin last night, and he was gone. Not even there,’ Kyle said, as co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson agreed it would have been nice for Tim to have a proper sendoff to his loyal viewers.
Tim appeared to be temporarily replaced by a female weather presenter, which Kyle didn’t believe measured up to her legendary predecessor.
Not happy: This comes after radio host Kyle Sandilands (pictured) slammed Channel 10 for axing Tim amid brutal job cuts
‘I tuned in to watch his final bulletin last night, and he was gone’: Kyle went on to say that he was shocked Channel 10 appeared to axe the star effective immediately, as he wasn’t present on Tuesday’s 10 News First
‘She was so meek and mild, and such a difference to Tim Bailey… There is no other weatherman like Tim,’ he claimed.
Kyle questioned why they would axe Tim in favour of another weather person for a national bulletin.
‘Why don’t they [Channel 10] use the best in the business? Why can’t Tim go on and do the weather for the whole country?’
‘The pleasure in watching a talent like Bailey is hard to replace,’ Kyle concluded.
Job cuts: Tim, along with at least 24 other stars, including Studio 10 host Kerri-Anne Kennerley (pictured) and journalist Natarsha Belling, were sacked in a brutal afternoon of budget cuts this on Tuesday
Stay tuned: The network has advised that more changes will be announced regarding Studio 10 in the coming weeks
Tim began working for Channel 10 in 1980 after scoring a job as a reporter on Good Morning Australia with Mike Gibson and TV veteran Kerri-Anne Kennerley (whose axing from the network was also announced on Tuesday).
Prior to being axed, Tim presented the weather on-location around New South Wales towns for Ten News at Five, a well as acting as a cover reporter for Ten Network.
Tim, along with at least 24 other stars, including Studio 10 host Kerri-Anne Kennerley and journalist Natarsha Belling, were sacked in the brutal afternoon of budget cuts.
Staff members were informed that the news and operations department was being ‘restructured’ in response to the sharp decline in advertising revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The changes are expected to be effective from Monday, September 14.