The Today show’s audacious plan for No. 1: Karl Stefanovic and Ally Langdon have a ‘sink-or-swim attitude’ as they vow to win back Sunrise and ABC News Breakfast viewers
Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon are keen to reverse the fortunes of the Today show after a recent ratings slump, with insiders saying the co-hosts are ready “to pull out all the stops” to catch up with their rivals.
The Channel Nine show recently took a serious blow when it finished third for a full week behind Sunrise and ABC News Breakfast for the first time in 13 years.
But despite that setback, a well-placed source told New Idea on Monday that Langdon, 42, and Stefanovic, 47, are determined to crawl back to No. 1.
Dream team: Karl Stefanovic (left) and Allison Langdon (right) have pledged to reverse the fortunes of the Today show after a recent ratings slump
“Karl’s the sort of guy who would never get out of a sinking ship,” they said.
“If he falls behind in the ratings, he and Ally just want to work harder to get back on top. It’s sink or swim [them].’
The insider continued, “Knowing their tenacity and professionalism, they will pull out all the stops to bring back their valued viewers who may have temporarily migrated to other networks.”
Committed: Insiders say the co-hosts (pictured at the 2020 Australian Open in Melbourne) are ready to “pull out all the stops” to catch up with their rivals
Rumors follow that Stefanovic, who is running for this year’s Gold Logie as most popular personality, could swap the breakfast TV for the boardroom.
Woman’s Day reported last month that the father-of-four was considering retiring from the Today show to find a job where he could “give back” to the community while still submitting occasional stories for 60 Minutes.
However, Stefanovic later dismissed the rumor as “absolutely bulls**t” during an interview with 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell.
Disappointing: The Channel Nine show recently suffered a major blow when it finished third for a full week behind Sunrise and ABC News Breakfast for the first time in 13 years. (Pictured: Sunrise co-hosts Natalie Barr and David ‘Kochie’ Koch)
While Stefanovic and Langdon’s partnership has garnered praise from viewers, Today still falls behind Channel Seven’s Sunrise.
But it wasn’t until earlier this month that alarm bells began to ring when the program ranked third behind Sunrise and ABC News Breakfast for a full week.
Today’s subway average for the week beginning May 2nd was 176,000.
Gossip: Rumors follow that Stefanovic, who is running for this year’s Gold Logie as TV Personality Favorite, could swap breakfast TV for the boardroom
In contrast, ABC News Breakfast had 195,000 viewers, according to The Daily Telegraph, and Sunrise led the field with 241,000.
But there’s still a chance Today could make a comeback as it has bounced back from similar falls before and is even known for climbing the East Coast ratings.
Sunrise is co-hosted by David ‘Kochie’ Koch and Natalie Barr. ABC News Breakfast co-hosts are Michael Rowland and Lisa Millar.
A challenger emerges: The ABC News Breakfast hosts are Michael Rowland and Lisa Millar