Joel Dry tipped to replace Andrew Lofthouse at Nine News QLD and staff are furious
Nine News Queensland is facing internal unrest after insiders revealed a journalist from a rival network has been chosen to replace Andrew Lofthouse.
Entertainment
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A potential replacement for veteran Nine News Queensland anchor Andrew “Lofty” Lofthouse has sparked fury from some inside the Mount Coot-Tha newsroom.
Multiple insiders told The Courier-Mail that former Seven reporter Joel Dry has been chosen to take over the high-profile role, though the network is yet to formally confirm the appointment.
The decision reportedly blindsided staff and sparked outrage among senior journalists who believed the coveted position should have gone to one of their own.
Sources described the move by newly appointed Queensland news boss Brendan Hockings as a “serious misstep”, one that has deepened existing divisions and triggered a fresh wave of internal “anger”.
“Brendan Hockings has lost the plot,” one insider said.
“For him to do this to a newsroom that’s already divided is absolutely crazy. People are enraged. Texts started flying at 6am and haven’t stopped.”
Dry, who previously worked at Nine before deserting the network for Seven in 2018, has spent the past 18 months freelancing from London.
His wife, Jess Millward — appointed in December 2023 as Nine’s Europe correspondent — currently leads the network’s London bureau.
Several insiders claim Millward has “lobbied heavily” behind the scenes to secure the role for her husband and has developed a particularly influential dynamic with Hockings.
“As soon as she found out Lofthouse had gone, she started ringing up, and [supervising producer] Leon Cull started pressuring Hockings,” one insider alleged.
Cull, a senior figure in the newsroom, has reportedly been a vocal supporter of Dry’s return, with multiple sources describing him as having long pushed specific talent for promotion.
The appointment would bypass long-serving Nine reporters Josh Bavas and Paul Taylor, both of whom were widely considered frontrunners for the anchor role.
Bavas, in particular, was seen as a natural successor to Lofthouse.
“I believe Bavas and Taylor will be looking for a new job in the next few days,” one colleague claimed.
“If Channel 7 aren’t on the phone trying to poach our talent now, they’d be stupid.”
Seven, currently trailing Nine News Brisbane in ratings, is believed to be eyeing the internal unrest as a potential opportunity to lure some of Nine’s most experienced on-air reporters.
One insider described the situation as a “perfect storm for a poaching coup”, calling the appointment “absolute shambles”.
“Four or five reporters would go to Seven tomorrow if the call came,” the insider added.
“If they [Seven] don’t see the advantage now, they’re missing it.”
Dry’s appointment has also raised eyebrows among some colleagues due to a recent report that attracted national scrutiny.
A story he filed promoting the benefits of “oxygenated miracle water” was the subject of a five-minute take-down on Media Watch, prompting internal criticism of his journalistic judgement.
Tensions at Nine have been further heightened by the secrecy surrounding the decision.
Sources say Nine had planned to formally announce the move this Friday, but the news leaked earlier this week, possibly from Sydney, where Hockings is currently based for election coverage.
There is also growing unease about what Millward’s eventual return to Brisbane could mean for other senior women in the newsroom, with insiders questioning whether presenters Alison Ariotti and Aislin Kriukelis may find their positions under threat.
“There’s panic across the newsroom,” one source said.
“If Ariotti and Kriukelis aren’t worried about their positions when Millward comes back, they should be.”
The internal fury has overshadowed what was meant to be a graceful transition following Lofthouse’s emotional retirement in January due to ill health after nearly two decades in the role.
Nine has not yet officially commented on the appointment.
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