Dance star Tristan MacManus joins Studio 10 following Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s exit
Studio 10’s new lineup will see Dancing With The Stars judge Tristan MacManus join Sarah Harris as co-host, following the decision by the network to axe Kerri-Anne Kennerley from the morning show.
Joe Hildebrand will also leave the format, but has said he will be staying with Ten in a new role which hasn’t been announced.
Narelda Jacobs will still be newsreader for the program and Angela Bishop is continuing in her role as entertainment reporter. Denise Drysdale, Craig Bennett and Jono Coleman will also continue to contribute to the show.
The cuts that saw Kennerley axed also hit Natarsha Belling and weatherman Tim Bailey, as well as a number of journalists and behind the scenes staff. At least 25 roles were impacted by the changes with a redundancy scheme in place.
Tristan MacManus said: “I’m absolutely buzzing with the opportunity I’ve been given to join the team and work with Sarah. It’s a great show and I have some big shoes to fill, but a challenge I am fully committed to and excited about. I can’t wait to get started.”
Tamara Simoneau, Studio 10 executive producer, said: “When searching for the right co-host to join Sarah at the helm of Studio 10 we wanted to think outside the box and choose someone who would help bring plenty of extra sunshine to morning TV at a time when it’s needed most. He’s charming, funny and fresh with a cheeky Irish side that he’s ready to share with Australia. He might even turn our studio into a dancefloor from time to time and we’re completely ok with that!”
Ross Dagan, network director of news content, said: “Tristan has performed all over the world for millions of fans and rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest stars, so we know he can handle four hours of live TV every day. You’ll still get the very latest news, information and entertainment, but in a way that reflects our rapidly changing lives. We all want to know what’s going on in the world, but we also need to escape it from time to time. The outstanding Studio 10 team will strive to strike that balance each and every hour.”
Tristan will join Studio 10 on Monday, September 14 from 8.00am.
topics
Angela Bishop
Joe Hildebrand
Kerri-Anne Kennerley
Narelda Jacobs
Ross Dagan
Sarah Harris
Studio 10
Tamara Simoneau
Ten
Tristan MacManus
I actually think this decision is incredibly disappointing.
With all due respect to Tristan McManus, but here we go again… yet another straight white male anchoring an Australian television program.
We seem to be having a never-ending discussion about the lack of diversity on Australian television, but when a network has the golden opportunity to do something about it, they once again go down the predictable path of recruiting someone that looks like every other Tom, Dick and Harry on television.
I find this to be real shame especially considering Network Ten’s previous inspired decision to adding Narelda Jacobs to the Studio 10 panel last year (who I understand is sadly being ‘demoted’ to newsreader, appearing just for the brief updates). It’s a pity they didn’t back that up by recruiting another non-white presenter for the new format.
Additionally, if Studio 10 is now going to be a clone of Today Extra and The Morning Show by having it hosted by two presenters, why does it have to be one male/one female combination?
While I realise it’s more about the budget and salaries in this case, I do think it’s a bad look having a man in his 30’s replace a woman approaching 70 as it gives credit to the chauvinistic argument that women on television have an expiration date, which I think is quite sad.
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I don’t know how they will follow what’s already been a fantastic show
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I think Tristan is what we need in the mornings and him and Sarah look great together and have that style and chemistry already. Also, Narelda is shining in her new role now with a smaller panel and who doesn’t love Jono! It’ll be interesting to see how the show looks and performs from 8-9, who knows with this team with Tamara driving as EP Studio 10 could bring that extra shine in the morning and some shinier ratings. One thing, Tristan needs to go easy on the “craic” references, Australians love the Irish and all things Ireland but will never say “craic” or relate to it.
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