Georgie Gardner was notably absent from the 9News Sydney desk on Thursday night, just days after her off-script farewell to colleague Amber Sherlock made headlines. The 55-year-old veteran presenter, who had been filling in for Peter Overton following his recent fall, was replaced by weekend newsreader Deb Knight during the 6pm bulletin.
Mark Burrows will also cover for Gardner on Friday and Saturday nights, a role she typically assumes when Overton, 59, is rostered off. According to Daily Mail Australia, Gardner was attending a charity event on Thursday night and is expected to return to screens on Sunday.
Gardner's absence comes after she confirmed the departure of weather presenter Amber Sherlock from Channel Nine earlier this week. In a sensational off-script moment during the final minutes of Wednesday's bulletin, Gardner deviated from her script to wish Sherlock farewell, calling her a 'valued member' of the team.
'Before we go tonight, we'd like to extend a farewell to our colleague Amber Sherlock,' Gardner said. 'For a number of years, Amber has been a valued member of the news team, bringing us our daily weather reports on behalf of Nine News. I'd like to thank Amber for her contribution, and we wish her and her family all the very best.'
Sherlock broke her silence on her exit the following day, taking a subtle jab at Nine's recent layoffs. In an Instagram post, she reminisced about her 'nearly 20 years' at the network and praised co-stars Peter Overton and James Bracey. She also referenced the departure of Melbourne weather presenter Livinia Nixon, saying, 'It seems like it's the end of an era for dedicated 6pm weather presenters as "streamlining" seems to be the prevailing forecast.'
