Campbell tipped for exit from TVNZ’s ‘Breakfast’
Former Al Jazeera news anchor Kamahl Santamaria is believed to be returning to New Zealand to join TVNZ’s Breakfast team amid mounting speculation that cohost John Campbell is leaving the morning programme.
The Sunday StarTimes has been told by multiple sources the Auckland-born journalist is coming back to New
Zealand to continue his broadcasting career, with insiders at both TVNZ and Al Jazeera saying they have been told he will join the Breakfast team to replace Campbell.
TVNZ insists, however, that it has no lineup changes to announce.
‘‘Breakfast returned earlier this year with John [Campbell], Jenny-May [Clarkson], Matty [McLean] and Indira [Stewart] – we have no line-up changes to announce,’’ a spokesperson said.
Sources told the Star-Times that Campbell, who previously hosted Seven Sharp and Campbell Live, is being lined up for a role as a roving reporter, similar to that filled at TVNZ rival Newshub by highprofile journalist Patrick Gower, whose special investigations Gower on Weed and Gower on Hate have been a huge ratings success.
Head of news Paul Yurisich on Friday said: ‘‘We’ve started the year with the team you see – Jenny-May, John, Matty and Indira, and that’s who’s on-air at the moment.’’ When asked if that line-up was expected to change any time soon Yurisich – who previously worked at Al Jazeera alongside Santamaria – added: ‘‘As I said, that’s the team at the moment. That is the team.’’
Santamaria, who began his career as a sports reporter at Newshub under its former banner 3 News, announced on-air this week that he was leaving Al Jazeera after 16 years, as he wrapped up his final news bulletin with the Qatar-based network.
Kamahl’s sister, Alexia Santamaria, said she could not comment as to whether her brother is returning to New Zealand. Campbell could not be contacted and did not respond to voicemail and text messages requesting comment.
Kamahl Santamaria has more than two decades of journalism experience working across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East. He joined Al Jazeera in 2005 and presented news bulletins and hosted several shows dedicated to current affairs and economics.
In 2018, he was nominated for an International News Emmy Award. Santamaria has also covered the past four US presidential elections, and anchored Al Jazeera’s coverage of Joe Biden’s 2021 US Presidential Inauguration live from Washington DC.
He started his career at Three in 1998, before moving in 2002 to join Sky News Australia where he spent three years.
Santamaria was contacted for comment.