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Today's Karl Stefanovic sledges Allison Langdon live on-air: 'Can't wait'
Today’s Karl Stefanovic has sledged co-host Allison Langdon on-air after news broke that she would be departing Nine’s breakfast show.
After weeks of speculation, Ally was announced as the new host of A Current Affair on Sunday evening. She is taking over from Tracy Grimshaw, who exited the show after fronting it for 17 years.
Karl acknowledged the news at the top of Monday’s show and warned Ally that he had plans to celebrate her final week on Today. His first surprise was playing A Current Affair's theme tune to start the show off while everybody clapped.
“Allison Langdon, everyone, the new host of A Current Affair of course. Congratulations, Ally,” he told viewers.
“I wasn’t sure what you would do this morning, thank you…I knew it would be something,” Ally replied.
“I spent the whole weekend working on that,” Karl quipped, before Ally hit back: “I could tell, the production value had your name written all over it.”
Karl didn’t miss a beat and told Ally that it was the Today show’s production value, asking her if that was why she was leaving.
“No, no. I am very excited, but it’s bittersweet to be leaving the morning team, it’s been amazing,” she said. Ally will step into her new role on Monday, January 30, 2023.
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Karl told his co-host to expect a ‘big week’ ahead to celebrate her time on the show, and continued to take hilarious swipes throughout the episode.
After a promo reminded viewers that 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Abo would be taking Ally’s spot, Karl couldn’t help but make a crack. “Out with the old and in with the new,” he quipped, with Ally saying that she ‘couldn’t wait to go’ when he made jokes like that.
“We can’t wait to shove you off. It’s going to be a wonderful week of celebrations,” Karl said smugly.
Ally breaks down on-air: ‘Hard to leave’
Later in the show, Sarah Abo joined the pair for a chat about the Channel Nine shakeup. Karl acknowledged that it was ‘television’s worst kept secret’, but soon had Ally in tears over her sweet connection with A Current Affair.
Ally’s late father-in-law Michael Willesee was a highly respected journalist and the first person to host A Current Affair when it launched in 1971.
“It was a very important one for the network to get right,” Karl began, before videos of Michael Willesee started playing. "Your beautiful husband, his dad was the best in the business…and for you to be taking his chair, is a really big thing.”
Ally started to break down as she said it was such a ‘special’ thing for her family, especially her husband Michael Willesee Jr.
“Just thought that, how nice it would’ve been had he been here,” she managed to say, while swallowing her tears.
The future A Current Affair host told Sarah how ‘hard’ it is to leave Today because she ‘loves it’, causing Karl to tear up as well.
“I love this man, despite everything he does and says, and annoys me, I adore him and he will have your back. He’ll look after you, he will annoy you,” she warned the reporter.
Sarah and Ally held hands during the emotional moment, as the 60 Minutes reporter declared Ally was ‘one of her heroes’.
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Fans were touched by the moment and sent their congratulations to the star.
“Awesome for bagging A Current Affair Ally! Well deserved! We’ll miss you every morning! Good luck Sarah!” one fan wrote.
“Didn’t know Mike was her father [in-law]. What a great honour for her to follow in [his] footsteps,” another added.
“Love Ally and Karl, and congrats Sarah fantastic choice. Well done Channel Nine for choosing Ally,” a third chimed in.
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