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Seven poaches rising star Gemma Williams from rival Nine in major TV shake-up

Channel 7 has made a surprise hire to take over at the top of its beleaguered current affairs show, Spotlight.

TV Executive Gemma Williams. Picture: Instagram
TV Executive Gemma Williams. Picture: Instagram

Seven has poached one of Nine’s rising stars to helm its beleaguered Spotlight current affairs show.

Gemma Williams has been hired to replace Mark Llewellyn as executive producer on the Sunday night program that goes head-to-head with long-running 60 Minutes.

It symbols a major cultural and generational shift following recent events, where Llewellyn left the network following months of damaging claims about how the current affairs show secured the controversial Bruce Lehrmann interview.

Spotlight has taken a hit over recent months over its internal culture under the leadership of Llewellyn with former producer Taylor Auerbach making bombshell allegations against the show and his former colleagues during Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson.

Williams, 25, is the daughter of former A Current Affair executive producer Grant Williams.

Gemma Williams has landed a major job at Channel 7. Picture: Instagram
Gemma Williams has landed a major job at Channel 7. Picture: Instagram
Williams will replace Mark Llewellyn. Picture: Instagram
Williams will replace Mark Llewellyn. Picture: Instagram

“News and current affairs is my passion, and I am thrilled to be taking on this leadership role and joining the team at 7NEWS Spotlight,” Williams said.

“It’s a great privilege to join such an experienced team who will continue to bring viewers unmissable major investigations and breaking news events from across Australia and around the globe.”

The move is also the first big decision Anthony De Ceglie has made in his new appointment as director of news and current affairs and editor-in-chief, Seven West Media.

Williams has worked at the Nine Network for around eight years, most recently as Sydney bureau chief for A Current Affair.

Williams has also had stints at Nine News and 2GB with Ben Fordham.

Elsewhere, Seven announced Chris Salter had been appointed Director of News in Melbourne, succeeding Shaun Menegola. Salter has been Seven’s Adelaide News Director since 2018 with his successor to be announced soon.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/seven-poaches-rising-star-gemma-williams-from-rival-nine-in-major-tv-shakeup/news-story/90d0ad037e4be7e594c5424e2cf997b6