Joel Dry confirmed as new Andrew Lofthouse replacement for Nine’s 6pm Qld bulletin

Just a day after the news leaked, Nine confirmed Joel Dry will co-anchor Queensland’s flagship bulletin, but viewers may face a long wait to see him on their screens.

Andrew “Lofty” Lofthouse retired in January. Pics Tara Croser.

Nine News Queensland has officially announced Joel Dry as the new co-anchor of the 6pm bulletin, stepping into the role vacated by long-time presenter Andrew “Lofty” Lofthouse.

Dry, a former Seven News reporter who began his career at Nine in 2011, will join veteran journalist Melissa Downes at the newsdesk, with the appointment confirmed to staff during a video conference early Friday morning.

The announcement follows a chaotic 24 hours behind the scenes at Nine, after word of Dry’s return leaked on Thursday — prompting what insiders described as “upheaval” within the Mount Coot-Tha newsroom.

Nine’s Queensland news director Brendan Hockings, currently in Sydney for the federal election, delivered the news to staff during a video conference on Friday morning.

Minutes later, the network publicly confirmed the appointment on its official Facebook page, a move some insiders believe was designed to get ahead of media coverage and control the narrative.

Dry is understood to be “excited” about returning to the network, but the decision may come at a personal cost.

His wife, Nine’s Europe correspondent Jess Millward, is reportedly disappointed, as the move could cut short her overseas posting, a position sources say she described as her “dream job.”

Melissa Downes, who has anchored the bulletin solo since Lofthouse’s retirement in January, also spoke during the internal announcement and welcomed Dry’s return, reportedly saying she was “happy” to have him on board.

New 9News Queensland anchor Joel Dry. Photo: Instagram.

In a prepared statement released shortly after on the 9News website and social media, Dry said:

“I’m thrilled to be returning home to Nine, where I began my life in news many years ago. I have so much respect for Melissa, who was always very generous and supportive to me during my years at Nine, and it’s an honour to again work alongside such an admired journalist.”

Downes added:

“This is an exciting time for 9News Queensland, a regeneration, and I know the team will be just as delighted as I am to have Joel joining me on the 6pm newsdesk. I know he will bring a new energy to the newsroom and his insightful reporting will add depth to our bulletin, offering our viewers an even richer understanding of the stories that matter most.”

Despite the news leaking earlier in the week, several staff and industry insiders say they were still caught off guard by the official confirmation.

Many had expected Nine to continue with Downes as the sole anchor, given she had been widely praised for her solo performance since Lofthouse’s departure and ratings for the flagship bulletin had held steady.

Some questioned the financial logic of returning to a two-anchor format, which is expected to come with a significant increase in salary overheads.

The official announcement states Dry will begin in the role “later this year”, though sources told The Courier-Mail his on-air debut is expected in August.

As of Friday morning, Dry was still listed as a 7News reporter on his LinkedIn profile.

Lofthouse retired in January after nearly two decades at the network, citing health reasons.