Channel Nine presenter Danika Mason has received welcome news regarding her personal life, with confirmation that her fiancé, rugby league forward Liam Knight, is returning to live in Australia. This development concludes a period of long-distance romance for the couple, who have been engaged since October last year.
Knight Released from Hull FC Contract
Liam Knight has been residing in England since early last year when he commenced playing for Hull FC in the Super League. However, the club has now announced his immediate release. "Hull FC can confirm that Liam Knight has been released with immediate effect," stated the team on Sunday, Australian time. "The club has mutually agreed to release the player from the remainder of his contract to return to Australia on compassionate grounds."
End of Long-Distance Relationship
This decision will undoubtedly please Mason, as she and Knight have endured a predominantly long-distance relationship since it became public in July 2024. Knight, aged 31, is now a free agent and is expected to attract interest from National Rugby League clubs in Australia. His most recent NRL stint involved just seven matches for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, hampered by injury, but he demonstrated his value as a first-grade player with 66 appearances for the South Sydney Rabbitohs between 2019 and 2023.
Mason Moves On from Recent Controversy
Knight's return coincides with Mason moving past the drinking incident that garnered global attention during her coverage of the Winter Olympics for the Today show last month. During a live cross from Italy, Mason appeared to slur her words and stumble, sparking significant discussion on social media.
Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Jayne Azzopardi suggested that cold weather might have affected her speech, but Mason later received praise for her on-air apology, where she admitted to drinking. "Guys, just before we do go, I just want to take a moment if that's okay, just to apologise," she began. "I also wanted to say thank you for everyone who has reached out. I'm okay. Probably just a little bit embarrassed."
She continued, "Look, I totally misjudged a situation. I shouldn't have had a drink. And especially in these conditions, it's cold. We've got altitude. And not having had dinner probably didn't help as well. But I want to take full responsibility. It's not the standard that I set for myself. So in saying that, I am genuinely sorry."
Engagement Details Revealed
Mason and Knight became engaged during a European holiday in October last year, with the proposal taking place on a beach in Sardinia, Italy, featuring a dazzling diamond ring. Mason later shared the humorous lengths Knight went to in order to keep the engagement secret. "He was trying to hide the ring from me, and we needed to go to the beach, and we hired a little dinghy for the day," she explained on Today. "Anyway, so he had to drop me off and, to keep the secret, he had to swim 150 metres. So his heart rate was already through the roof and then he had to do the proposal on top of that."
Relationship Timeline
The couple confirmed their romance via social media after months of speculation, just months after Mason ended her engagement to ex-fiancé Todd Liubinskas. A photo shared on Knight's Instagram showed the pair embracing, with the caption "My life's good." With Knight's imminent return to Australia, the couple is poised to spend significantly more time together, marking a new chapter in their relationship.
