Latest news with #PhoebeWorthley
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Shake-up continues at Channel Seven as the network makes a MAJOR move with even more staffing changes
After being rocked with staff walkouts as top talent flees to rival networks, Seven appears to be readying for another shake-up. Two reporters from regional channels have been relocated to a major metro centre, fuelling speculation that Seven are readying to launch a fresh news program. Sheri Smith, who has been with the network as a journalist since last year, has taken up a spot in Melbourne, alongside Seven News reporter Phoebe Worthley. Smith makes the move after a recent stint in Toowoomba. The young journo also got five months experience at Seven's Brisbane station. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Meanwhile, Worthley comes to her new gig after working for Seven for the last two years in Albury. 'I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as a News Reporter at Seven Network in Melbourne!' she shared to LinkedIn on Sunday. Worthley has also held reporter roles in Canberra and at Nine in Sydney. Industry blog TV Tonight reported on Monday that the relocation of Worthley and Smith has led to speculation that Seven Melbourne is readying a new bulletin for the afternoon slot. It comes after Seven suffered the loss of three top reporters last month. Award-winning former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace, 7News Sydney reporter Bill Hogan and Spotlight producer-reporter Denham Hitchcock all resigned in early June. All three joined 10 as part of the team behind 10 News+, which has been a ratings disappointment since it debuted in The Project's old slot on June 30. Hitchcock, who was announced as the face of the show alongside Amelia Brace in June, responded to two followers who left brutal comments on his Instagram page criticising the new show. One social media user accused the presenter of sharing 'fake news' on the show. However, the 48-year-old didn't hold back, asking: 'Which stories have you seen on this program that have been fake?' Another troll slammed Denham for his vaccine stance, writing: 'How are we supposed to believe you @denhamhitchcock? 'You were vaccine injured and decided to take a payout over the truth! At a time when millions of people needed popular voices to tell the truth … you tried … then took off on your yacht,' the person wrote. Denham, who was hospitalised in 2021 after experiencing a rare side effect called pericarditis following his initial two Pfizer jabs, took aim at the accusation in a fiery response. 'What payout you tool? I quit my job and went sailing to spend time with my family,' he wrote. He went on: 'I am still looking into all this – I just don't believe everything I read like you do. It takes time to prove this stuff. Not just rant. Grow up.' Earlier this month, it was reported that 10 News+ had been savaged in the ratings following its premiere. The current affairs program, slotted in to replace The Project after it was sensationally axed following 16 years on air, was watched by a paltry 291,000 people, according to ratings released by OzTAM. Channel Nine and Channel Seven dominated the time slot, with 7News attracting 1.5 million viewers, and 9News following closely with 1.45 million viewers. 10News+'s figures only got worse, dropping to 244,000 by the following Tuesday and sliding further still to 205,000 by midweek.
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Industry shock as popular Channel Nine reporter sensationally poached by rival network
Channel Seven is continuing to plunder the Channel Nine talent pool, poaching a popular senior reporter. Long-serving Nine reporter and former US correspondent Laura Turner will move to Seven's Melbourne newsroom as one of six new appointments, according to the Herald Sun. In an internal email seen by the publication, Seven's Melbourne news director Chris Salter revealed that fellow Nine reporter Phoebe Worthley would also be making the move to Melbourne. Jordan Quinn from 7News Brisbane, and Sheri Smith from 7News Toowoomba will also make the move to Melbourne. 'Laura is a natural leader in our industry — she's got a strong news sense and a passion for breaking and telling compelling stories,' Salter said. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Her experience will be an enormous asset for us.' Turner began her career in Nine's Melbourne newsroom back in 2010, before taking on a two-year stint as US correspondent in 2015. She recently took to Instagram to mark her 15 years with Nine by sharing a montage of some of her memorable moments with the network. 'I recently marked 15 years with Channel 9 and 20 years as a tv reporter,' she wrote. 'It's been a wild ride of natural disasters, US Presidential campaigns, missing aeroplanes, Quill awards, crime scenes, NFL games, Oscars red carpets, mass shootings, typhoons, pregnancies, personal highs and crushing lows.' Back in December, it was revealed that rising Nine star Xander McGuire, the son of veteran broadcaster Eddie McGuire, had also been poached by Seven to take on an expanded role in its sport and news divisions. McGuire established himself as one of Nine's most promising talents after joining the network in 2022, with sports presenter Tony Jones describing him as 'the best young reporter I've seen in almost 40 years'. It comes after Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed last week that Seven had poached the executive producer from Nine's nightly bulletin, Tanya Weingarth. Back in December, it was revealed that rising Nine star Xander McGuire, the son of veteran broadcaster Eddie McGuire, had also been poached by Seven to take on an expanded role in its sport and news divisions In an internal email, the network announced the one-time A Current Affair senior producer would be appointed executive producer of the broadcaster's 6pm Sydney news bulletin. Seven's acting news director Geoff Dunn welcomed the appointment in the internal email. 'Tanya started her career with Seven Queensland, so she really is coming home,' the message read. 'We will confirm her start date in due course,' he said. 'We're thrilled she is making the switch to Sydney's most dedicated news team.' Weingarth's career has spanned two decades in Australia after she started as a reporter at Seven News Queensland in 2003. A Nine spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the network wished Weingarth 'all the best for her next career move'. 'Tanya continues to fulfil her current role as EP, including tonight at 6pm,' he said. It was also recently revealed that Seven News bosses were secretly planning to sack some of their most popular and best-paid stars. Former top news boss Anthony De Ceglie had a plan to axe every Channel Seven personality earning more than $300,000 per year in favour of upcoming TV stars, according to The Australian's Media Diary column. It was planned that Spotlight chief correspondent Liam Bartlett, Seven News chief reporter Chris Reason and Seven News Sydney anchor Michael Usher were going to be quietly dismissed as part of a 'drastic cost-cutting operation'. Sunrise and Morning Show presenters Natalie Barr, Matt Shirvington, Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur were the only high-paid stars not at risk of losing their jobs.
