The casting shakeup is a ‘desperate bid to wrestle the TV breakfast crown from Seven’s rival Sunrise’ The Australian reported <\/a>on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Armytage, 49, and Stefanovic, 51, are being slated as the ‘dream team’ that could see Today topple Sunrise’s domination in the morning show ratings.\u00a0<\/p>\n The network is banking on the\u00a0‘Armytage effect’ which saw Sunrise score a ratings victory when Armytage joined the program in 2013.\u00a0<\/p>\n Armytage left Sunrise in 2021 and has gone on to helm Farmer Wants A Wife<\/a> and the upcoming Golden Bachelor.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Today show could be set for a major shakeup in a bid to win the breakfast television wars. Nine is in ‘secret talks’ to replace Karl Stefanovic ‘s co-host Sarah Abo with A-list ‘prestige’ presenter, Samantha Armytage (pictured), according to a new report<\/p>\n Nine CEO Matt Stanton did little to dispel the chatter regarding Abo’s future at Today, giving The Australian a coy response when asked if Armytage was stepping into the role alongside Stefanovic.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘I don’t know. I’m not into that level to be honest, I haven’t seen that level of detail,’\u00a0Stanton told the publication this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n Abo, 39, joined Today in 2023,\u00a0replacing outgoing host\u00a0Allison Langdon.\u00a0<\/p>\n Langdon\u00a0had announced her departure in 2022. She then stepped into the hosting role at A Current Affair, replacing long-time presenter Tracy Grimshaw.\u00a0<\/p>\n Abo’s reported recent push for a bigger pay packet is part of the motivation for the switch-up, The Australian claimed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Stefanovic has recently been offered a multi-million, multi-year deal by Nine, but the network is keeping an eye on the ratings under\u00a0Stefanovic’s reign.\u00a0<\/p>\n The breakfast show host has reportedly landed himself a $3 million per year contract, according to The Australian in June.<\/p>\n Stefanovic’s Today co-host Abo makes only $800,000 a year, according to Mediaweek, highlighting a stark gender pay gap between the two<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Armytage and Stefanovic (pictured) are being slated as the ‘dream team’ that could see Today topple Sunrise’s domination in the morning show ratings\u00a0<\/p>\n Abo’s (pictured) reported recent push for a bigger pay packet is part of the motivation for the switch-up, the publication claims<\/p>\n ‘Nine sources tell us the network’s top brass have just finished passing a hat around at their Denison St headquarters in North\u00a0Sydney<\/a> and have managed to scrape together enough loose change to offer him a contract worth about $3 million a year,’ the paper’s Media Diary wrote of Stefanovic’s pay packet.<\/p>\n Sitting on a $2.8 million a year contract at the time, Stefanovic was rumoured to see a significant increase in his pay as he continued to front the successful breakfast show.<\/p>\n According to the publication, Nine is said to have given in to the TV presenter’s demands after he threatened to walk away if they low-balled on a new contract.<\/p>\n The news came as a shock considering rival breakfast hosts Natalie Barr<\/a> and Matt Shirvington<\/a>\u00a0make a meagre $2 million between them.<\/p>\n The Australian’s inaugural TV Rich List report claimed in May that Stefanovic was being paid an eye-watering $2 million more than his co-host Abo<\/a>.<\/p>\n The report collated the 35 highest salaries among TV stars on Australia’s three commercial networks – Channel Seven, Nine and Network 10.<\/p>\n It revealed that Stefanovic is the highest-paid small screen star Down Under, bringing home a formidable $2.8 million annually, making almost three times as much as Abo.<\/p>\n This is in stark contrast to his Today counterpart, who came in at tenth place with a salary of $800,000.<\/p>\n Abo joined Today in 2023, replacing outgoing host Allison Langdon<\/p>\n The network is banking on the ‘Armytage effect’ which saw Sunrise score a ratings victory when Armytage joined the program in 2013. Armytage left Sunrise in 2021 and has gone on to helm Farmer Wants A Wife and the upcoming Golden Bachelor<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Armytage has toppled Bachelor alum Osher G\u00fcnsberg as the new Golden Bachelor host, landing a huge payday.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/102918343-15184947-image-a-15_1760263119035.jpg\")
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