Mystery surrounding shock exit of Nine employee, who is believed to have dated Darren Wick

Mystery surrounds the abrupt departure this week of one of Nine’s news directors, who is believed to be one of the women who was in a relationship with Darren Wick.

Mystery surrounds the shock departure of one of Nine’s news directors – who is believed to have once been in a relationship with Darren Wick – after she abruptly left the beleaguered company this week.

Nine employees were called into a last-minute meeting on Thursday and were told it would be Amanda Paterson’s final day.

The quick exit comes after Nine recently promised cultural change within the network following a review into Nine’s workplace practice and culture amid bullying, intimidation and harassment claims, although there is no suggestion from the network the exit relates to that.

It comes as Saturday Confidential has learned Ms Paterson was in a relationship with Wick while she was working for the Network.

It was revealed earlier this year that Wick had multiple consensual romances with women working for him, as well as being accused of sexually harassing others.

It is believed Ms Paterson went into a meeting on Thursday morning and was in the office most the day before disappearing not long before the news was delivered to staff in a town hall.

Amanda Paterson Nine Queensland.

An internal e-mail was then sent out, which outlined Paterson’s exit and spoke about the internal and external recruitment process which would take place to find her replacement.

While most staff who leave the company are given a glowing company wide e-mail send off which outlines their contribution to the business, nothing was said about Patterson, other than “she has finished up with Nine today.”

When it was announced that Wick, who has been accused of serious claims of alleged inappropriate behaviour, was leaving in March, staff received a ‘staff update’ which saw Nine’s programming boss Michael Healey paying tribute to Wick for his work at the network.

“I personally want to thank Wickie for his commitment to the Nine News brand and wish him well,” Healey said.

Former Channel 9 news chief Darren Wick. Picture: NCA NewsWireShaw

Paterson’s departure email was much more abrupt, simply announcing she was leaving.

“While we formalise an internal and external recruitment process to replace the role, Kate Donnison has agreed to step in on a short-term basis until QTQ EP Brendan Hockings returns from the US and his annual leave,” it read.

“Brendan will then act in the role until we finalise the recruitment process to ensure stability in leadership during this time.”

Ms Paterson’s temporary replacement Kate Donnison is the A Current Affair Queensland bureau chief.

While Director of News and Current Affairs, Fiona Dear, who replaced Wick in May, wouldn’t reveal why Paterson was leaving, she simply said it was a “private matter”.

Yesterday Nine would not comment further on Ms Paterson’s departure, instead saying, “Nine can confirm a leadership change was announced on Thursday within the Queensland TV News & Current Affairs department. An internal and external recruitment process will now commence.”

Ms Paterson, who was appointed Queensland News Director in 2016, after beginning her career as a 19-year-old reporter,.

Ms Paterson’s exit comes following a review into Nine’s workplace practice and culture amid bullying, intimidation and harassment claims.

Multiple former and current Nine staffers have expressed frustration to Saturday Confidential over the network’s handling of the findings of the investigation.