Page 13: Nine young gun Seb Costello officially MIA from our screens

NINE young gun Seb Costello is officially MIA from our screens despite being heavily promoted as the network’s foreign correspondent for the Barcelona terror attacks. So, where is he?

Eddie McGuire (right) shows Seb Costello how to wear a suit properly. Picture: Josie Hayden

THE breaking news in television circles this week is the whereabouts of Nine’s young gun reporter SEB COSTELLO.

The son of former treasurer PETER COSTELLO is officially MIA from our screens despite being heavily promoted as the network’s foreign correspondent for the Barcelona terror attacks.

Channel Nine reporter Seb Costello has gone MIA. Picture: Channel Nine

Weekend Today’s TOM STEINFORT has been parachuted in to replace Costello, who was last seen on air looking not his usual clean-cut self.

Nine would not be drawn into what caused Costello to suddenly abandon his posting.

The network spokesman would only confirm Costello was now on leave for an unknown period of time after working tirelessly covering some of the world’s biggest stories in recent months, including the arrest of CASSIE SAINSBURY in Colombia and the Barcelona attacks.

Costello has been groomed for greatness at Nine with even Footy Show host EDDIE MCGUIRE taking him under his wing when he was based in Melbourne.

Up until his Spanish vanishing act, Costello was trusted with covering some of this year’s biggest stories — a sign of just how highly he was regarded by his bosses.

While Nine insists he is simply on annual leave, it’s unusual for a man as ambitious as Costello to go to ground, failing to return calls and giving up one of TV’s most plum postings in the middle of one of the biggest breaking stories of the year.

His sudden absence in Barcelona is at odds with the polished performer people see on screen.

But insiders in the Nine newsroom say the issues began appearing in Colombia while Costello was filing stories on “Cocaine Cassie”.

Rumour has it he was first cautioned for his performance back then.

Making matters worse, there are whispers that the ambitious reporter also failed to show up to his own farewell function and cleared out his desk without ever really explaining himself to his confused colleagues.

Now he has gone AWOL again.

Just where he is now, or when he will be back remains a mystery for viewers.

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