Channel 9 weatherman’s shock as he replaces Colin Jost on America’s Olympics broadcast

A Channel 9 weatherman has been left baffled after being called up to replace comedian Colin Jost to present the Olympics for a leading US TV network.

Americans tuning into the Olympics are having their news served up by a humble Australian weatherman, who has somehow ended up leading the NBC’s surfing coverage after US comedian Colin Jost was forced to pull out.

Channel 9 Gold Coast presenter Luke Bradnam has been randomly tapped to take over the leading TV network’s broadcasting of the Paris Olympics in Tahiti, where the surfing events are being held.

Jost, who is married to US actor Scarlett Johansson, was helming the presenting spot for the broadcaster after the surfing kicked off at Teahupo’o reef on Saturday, before being called back home to New York amid a two-day competition break due to a lack of swell.

As one of just four reporters on the ground, Bradnam was enlisted as the network giant’s unlikely correspondent choice, with NBC owning exclusive rights to the Games in the US as part of a multibillion-dollar deal.

Scarlett Johansson's husband Colin Jost was covering Olympic surfing in Tahiti for US cable giant NBC.

That spot is now going to Aussie weatherman Luke Bradnam, who was tapped to replace Jost.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald about his unexpected new gig, a bewildered Bradnam, who was already in Tahiti covering the surfing for Nine, had a typically Aussie response to getting the Hollywood call-up, which comes ahead of the all-important finals this weekend.

“I got a phone call as the surfing came back online, it was literally just, ‘Colin’s not able to work it, could you please fill in for us?’,” Bradnam told the publication. “‘What the f**k? Sure.’

“Now I’m doing these crosses, they’ve got no idea who I am. I’ve done three crosses already today and I’ve covered the Americans today. One of those was Caity Simmers, the youngster who got knocked out of the Olympics.

“She had tears in her eyes and was quite emotional, so I am taking that side of the job seriously, of course. And then there’s a part of me going, ‘Jesus, can these Americans even understand me?’”

The Aussie broadcaster American viewers need.

While Bradnam’s clearly not feeling the pressure, the NBC’s coverage of the Games has been ratings dynamite since debuting at the weekend.

An average of 34 million people were watching prime-time coverage on Peacock and NBC during the first five days, which was up 79 per cent from the Tokyo Games, based on Nielsen and Adobe Analytics data.

NBCUniversal paid a staggering $US7.65 billion to extend its Olympics media rights through to 2032, which marked the largest deal globally.

Elsewhere, fans were loving Jost’s fish-out-of-water hosting shtick, the Staten Island native presenting colourful bulletins while barefoot and lying on sun lounges.

Jost is married to Scarlett Johansson. Picture: Charly Triballeau/AFP

“It’s constantly hard to tell if Colin Jost covering Olympic surfing in Tahiti is an SNL sketch or a serious journalism assignment,” one user wrote on X.

“I would read 10,000 words on the backroom conversations at NBC that led to Colin Jost becoming the surfing correspondent in Tahiti,” another quipped.

While Bradnam isn’t sure why Jost was forced to abandon his role, the comedian had come down with an ear infection, and also picked up a staph infection after slicing his foot on the reef.

“All I know is I’m now doing his crosses … If I don’t get an invite to the NBC Christmas party after this, it won’t be pretty,” Bradnam added.