KAK’S SHOCK ATTACK
BUT SARAH HARRIS AND HER OTHER NEW COLLEAGUES AREN’T HAPPY
While Network Ten bosses hope adding Kerri-anne Kennerley to the Studio 10 roster will save the show, behind the scenes her new co-stars are feeling unappreciated.
An insider tells New Idea that Sarah Harris and Denise Drysdale in particular are unhappy about this latest shake-up of the morning talk show, especially after Kerri-anne slammed the program’s poor ratings as ‘shocking’ on the same day her new gig was announced.
‘Their noses are out of joint since the announcement and it’s fair to say that Kerri-anne’s comments haven’t gone down well,’ says the insider.
‘The chat among the Studio 10 team is that Kerri-anne will bring nothing but the wrong kind of drama to the show. She’s used to being the centre of attention with her own show, and she’s not really known in the industry as a team player. They’re also all talking about her high salary and wardrobe allowance, which is definitely more generous than anything the other presenters are getting.’
An interview with The Daily Telegraph has only increased their concern. In it, Kerri-anne was quick to mention the ailing show’s poor ratings – which are as low as 50,000 in urban areas – noting they are ‘an issue’.
‘I have been on the record as saying before... I think the show has such a feelgood factor that if it wasn’t on Channel 10 it would have rated a whole bunch better,’ she said, adding, ‘The ratings are obviously pretty shocking, to be quite frank, at the moment, so let’s hope they improve.’
When she discussed her new two-days-a-week role during a live cross with her Studio 10 colleagues the same day, KerriAnne quickly backtracked, telling Angela Bishop that she was very glad to be joining the team, saying, ‘I think there’s, you know, a huge future for Ten. It’s certainly, er, on... on the rise.’
It’s no surprise the team are feeling touchy about the fanfare arrival of their new colleague. In the past year, Studio 10 has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, with Jessica Rowe’s resignation in March swiftly followed by Ita Buttrose’s in April amid rumours of tensions with Denise Drysdale and their infamous ‘Sprout-gate’ squabble. In August, Denise announced
she was taking temporary leave from the show, while sacked producer Rob Mcknight – who is currently suing Ten – claimed Ita was targeted in a hate campaign by the network.
‘Sarah in particular is not happy. She wasn’t consulted by production bosses, she was just told that Kerri-anne was joining the show.
‘Understandably, she’s feeling threatened about her own position. After all, Kerri-anne is the queen of daytime telly,’ explains the source.
Despite her concerns, Sarah – who has two young sons, Paul, two, and nine-month-old Harry – has maintained a professional stance since the announcement.
In an official statement to New Idea, Sarah said: ‘We all adore KAK and we’re all so excited that the Queen of morning TV is joining our little panel.’ And, quick to post congratulations on Instagram and Twitter, she captioned a picture of Kerri-anne, ‘All hail Queen KAK!’ and remained silent as a host of commenters speculated that the Logie Hall of Fame winner would save Studio 10; one even posted, ‘better hold onto you[r] seat Sarah’.
A host of famous personalities also joined in, with Julia Morris posting, ‘Congrats Beautiful… what a spectacular addition to the team jx’; Chris Bath wrote, ‘Congratulations you will be actress Rebecca Gibney added, ‘They’re lucky to have you’.
The 64-year-old’s comeback arrives just months after she told New idea that she was reluctant to return to TV work. Her husband John suffered a lifechanging accident in 2016, when a balcony fall at a Coffs Harbour golf club left him a paraplegic.
‘I could never go back to weekday television,’ she said, adding, ‘I don’t want to get up earlier... it’s just relentless TV’.
But now, she’s ready to combine a part-time role with the demands of her private life.
‘Yes, Kerri-anne is loved and it is clever of Ten to bring her back, but the whole industry is talking about how she isn’t used to being second fiddle,’ says the insider.