Today Extra

History

The show premiered on the Nine Network on 6 February 2012 as Mornings, offering a mix of interviews, live music performances, and segments on cooking, lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and entertainment. The show replaced the long-running Kerri-Anne.

In January 2015, Mornings underwent a rebrand with a fresh set and logo. During Sonia Kruger’s maternity leave, Wendy Kingston hosted on Mondays while Georgie Gardner took over from Tuesday to Friday until Kruger’s return on 27 April 2015. Shortly after, on 5 May 2015, Mornings was extended to 11:30 AM, leading to Nine's Morning News being rescheduled to the same time slot.

In January 2016, Nine announced that Mornings would be rebranded as Today Extra, aligning it with the network’s breakfast show, Today, while maintaining its focus on light entertainment and news updates. The program moved to the Today studio as part of this transition.

In January 2019, David Campbell was announced as the new host of Weekend Today, continuing to host Today Extra on Mondays through Wednesdays. Richard Wilkins joined as co-host on Thursdays and Fridays. Campbell remained in this role until December 2019, when it was announced he would host Today Extra full-time in 2020, with Wilkins taking over his role on Weekend Today.

In November 2019, Kruger announced her departure from Nine, with her final show airing on 15 November. Sylvia Jeffreys was confirmed as Kruger's permanent successor upon her return from maternity leave in 2020. Campbell resumed hosting duties on weekdays, while Wilkins transitioned to Weekend Today.

A notable incident occurred on 9 March 2020, when actress Rita Wilson appeared on the show in a segment hosted by Campbell and Belinda Russell, who was filling in for Jeffreys. Three days later, Wilson was diagnosed with COVID-19, prompting Nine to order all personnel who had interacted with her including Campbell and Russell into isolation. Following testing, none were found to have contracted the virus.

Hosts

Former hosts

Fill-in presenters

Current presenters who have been fill-in hosts or co-hosts of Today Extra in recent times include Amber Sherlock, Belinda Russell, Lizzie Pearl, Renee Bargh, Brooke Boney, Richard Wilkins, Jayne Azzopardi, Lara Vella, Charles Croucher, Tim Davies and Tom Tilley.

Regular segments

Ratings

The first episode of Mornings attracted 104,000, trailing The Morning Show, which attracted 166,000 viewers. However, in October 2012, Mornings beat The Morning Show for the first time since its launch.

On 19 March 2016, six weeks after the relaunch to Today Extra, the program won the week against The Morning Show. This included a victory in Perth, which for many years has been Nine's weakest market ratings-wise. It was the first time The Morning Show lost a week in its nine-year history.

References

References

1. Knox, David. (29 January 2012). "Airdate: Mornings". [[TV Tonight]].
2. Knox, David. (24 January 2015). "Gallery: New Set For Nine's Mornings". [[TV Tonight]].
3. Knox, David. (19 April 2015). "Sonia Kruger Returning To Mornings". [[TV Tonight]].
4. Knox, David. (27 April 2015). "Mornings To Extend to 11.30am". [[TV Tonight]].
5. Knox, David. (23 January 2016). "Mornings To Rebrand As Today Extra". [[TV Tonight]].
6. Knox, David. (5 January 2019). "Deb Knight, Tom Steinfort Join Georgie on Today". [[TV Tonight]].
7. Knox, David. (14 November 2019). "Sonia Kruger Confirms Nine Departure". [[TV Tonight]].
8. Knox, David. (18 December 2019). "Confirmed News, Sport & Weather Faces for Today Show". [[TV Tonight]].
9. Knox, David. (12 March 2020). "Nine acts on Willoughby studios after Rita Wilson visit". [[TV Tonight]].
10. Knox, David. (15 March 2020). "Richard Wilkins Test Positive for Covid-19". [[TV Tonight]].
11. Knox, David. (7 February 2012). "The Reality of Mondays". [[TV Tonight]].
12. Knox, David. (1 November 2012). "Mornings beats The Morning Show". TV Tonight.
13. Knox, David. (20 March 2016). "Nine Takes Week From The Morning Show For First Time in 9 Years". TV Tonight.