Kerri-Anne Kennerley berates Studio 10 for ‘waking up’ two years after her sacking – as ratings plummet under the new progressive agenda
Kerri-Anne Kennerley says it’s “sad” to see Studio 10 becoming an unbearable wake-up call after being fired from the show two years ago.
The former queen of daytime television received her marching orders in August 2020 as Network Ten desperately tried to cut costs during the Covid pandemic.
Her departure from the show coincided with Studio 10’s more politically progressive content and a sharp drop in ratings.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley (pictured) says it’s “sad” to see Studio 10 becoming an unbearable wake-up call after being fired from the show two years ago
Kennerley, 69, told Woman’s Day she suspects that after a few minor controversies, producers tipped views and canceled the culture.
“I don’t know what came to the minds of the producers. They all got scared. I think they shied,” she said in an interview published Monday.
“When I was at Studio 10 I really felt like we were getting better and better every week. I think in the 18 months I’ve been there they’ve gotten more traction and more press than they’ve had in five or six years.”
She continued, “And if I had produced it, I would have doubled down. I would have said, “Okay, let’s go further, let’s go more controversial.”
Kennerley received her marching orders in August 2020 as Network Ten was desperate to cut costs during the Covid pandemic. Her departure from the show coincided with Studio 10’s more politically progressive content and a sharp drop in ratings
Though it never competed with Nine’s Today Extra or Seven’s The Morning Show, Studio 10 once had a loyal audience of over-50s who tuned in each morning to follow the panel discussion’s news events from a range of political perspectives.
But its ratings have been in freefall for the past two years after the panel ditched in favor of a two-anchor format led by Sarah Harris and Tristan MacManus.
The show has also taken a notable leftward swing politically since 2020, possibly due to the influence of younger producers and news anchor Narelda Jacobs.
The move has stunned many industry insiders, as Studio 10’s core audience consists of older, more conservative Australians who still watch TV during the day.
Kennerley, 69, told Woman’s Day she suspects that after a few minor controversies, producers tipped views and canceled the culture
A source said Kennerley’s 2020 firing was confusing because her centre-right views actually reflect those of the average Studio 10 viewer.
However, her exit is believed to have been primarily a cost-cutting measure, and Kennerley told Woman’s Day, “I like to think it wasn’t personal.”
The Logie Hall of Famer often made headlines during her 18 months at Studio 10, most notably finding herself at the center of a feud with panelist Yumi Stynes.
The show has taken a notable leftward swing politically since 2020. American non-binary activist and poet Alok Vaid-Menon was interviewed at Studio 10 in September (pictured).
Stynes accused Kennerley live on air of “sounding like a racist” for suggesting First Nations people should be more concerned about widespread abuse in remote Indigenous communities than changing the date of Australia Day .
Following the controversy, Kennerley met with Aboriginal women in the NT outback after being invited by the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group.
She later said she “learned a lot” from that experience.
The move has stunned many as Studio 10’s audience is made up of older, conservative Australians who still watch television during the day. (Pictured: Kennerley and former Studio 10 host Joe Hildebrand)
Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s career and controversies
1967: Kerri-Anne Kennerley made her television debut at age 14 on the children’s show The Channel Niners
1980s: She performs as a singer and releases her first album in 1988
1996 to 1998: Hosted the TV show Midday and received three Gold Logie nominations
2002 to 2011: She hosts her own show on Channel Nine called Kerri-Anne which airs weekdays at 9am
2012: She appears as a contestant on Seven’s Dancing with the Stars
2016: Kennerley publicly supports Sonia Kruger, who proposed a ban on Muslim immigration to Australia
2018: She is announced as a panelist on Channel 10
January 2019: Kennerley clashes with Yumi Stynes over Invasion Day protesters, saying Aboriginal activists should pay more attention to “five-year-olds being raped” in the outback
October 2019: She is controversial about climate change protesters and supports tougher penalties.
November 2019: Kennerley claims her co-host Joe Hildebrand “did more drugs than anyone” in a live interview.
December 2019: She asks Studio 10 colleague Antoinette Lattouf, who was wearing a short white playsuit, if she forgot her pants