Feeling the heat? Sunrise stars Samantha Armytage and David Koch return to hosting breakfast show full-time – as their Nine Today show rivals win on the East Coast in ratings war
Channel Seven’s Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and David Koch will end their part-time hosting arrangements as of Monday, September 21.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the presenters were ordered to return to hosting the breakfast show full-time after Nine’s rival program Today closed the ratings gap.
‘They are back five days a week,’ Seven News director Craig McPherson confirmed on Friday.
Back to work: Samantha Armytage (left) and David Koch (right) will return to hosting Sunrise full-time – after rival Today show won on the east coast in the ratings war
The hosts had each been enjoying a four-day working week, with Sunrise newsreader Natalie Barr filling in for Samantha on Mondays and for David on Fridays.
Samantha, 43, chose to take a step back from her on-air responsibilities in favour of a four-day working week in June.
Meanwhile, David confirmed his shorter working week in 2018, explaining ‘his work schedule was taking a toll as there were other things he wanted to do’.
Hosting: Sunrise newsreader Natalie Barr has been filling in for Samantha on Mondays and David on Fridays. Pictured L to R: Natalie, Samantha, David and Mark Beretta
Earlier this month, Nine’s Today show, fronted by Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, won on the East Coast in the ratings war.
The once-struggling breakfast program beat Sunrise by 14,000 people, across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
A week earlier, Today claimed victory in the East Coast capitals, pulling a combined average audience of 191,000 – which was more than Sunrise’s 189,000.
Closing the gap: Earlier this month, Network Nine’s Today show, fronted by Karl Stefanovic (pictured) and Allison Langdon, won on the east coast in the ratings war
Success: The once-struggling breakfast program beat Sunrise by 195,000 to 181,000 in total people, across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane
These figures represent a triumphant leap in the ratings for the Today show, which had previously dragged around 70,000 viewers behind Sunrise back in June.
Sunrise is still however the nation’s most-watched breakfast TV program across the five capital cities, with a viewership of 259,000 compared to Today’s 229,000.
It has also won every week and every day of 2020 so far in terms of ratings.
Meanwhile, Today’s co-host Karl is understood to have recently signed a new contract with Nine, and is locked into a multi-year deal along with co-host Allison and the rest of the team.
Karl, 46, was sacked from the Today show in December 2018 after his personal life was blamed for the declining ratings. He was reinstated as co-anchor in January this year, alongside Allison.
Rocky path: Karl, 46, was sacked from the Today show in 2018 before being reinstated as co-anchor in January this year, alongside Allison