Karl Stefanovic and Mark Latham to film pilot for Nine’s new panel show

THE Nine Network will film a pilot for its new late-night panel show featuring Karl Stefanovic and Mark Latham as early as next week.

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THE Nine Network has confirmed it will film a pilot for a new late-night panel show hosted by Karl Stefanovic as early as next week.

Nine has also signed former Labor leader Mark Latham as a panellist, the Australian reports.

Featuring in the pilot alongside Mr Latham will be former Liberal minister Amanda Vanstone, actress Pallavi Sharda, entrepreneur Tammy May and chief executive of a not-for-profit organisation, Seb Robertson.

The program will aim for a more irreverent, lighthearted look at the news of the day than ABC’s Q&A and will reportedly air in the post-10pm timeslot on Nine’s primary channel.

A Nine spokesperson told Fairfax the show’s permanent line-up would be finalised after the pilot was filmed.

“We have a group of panellists proposed for the pilot who are currently being briefed and Mark Latham is one of those,” the spokesperson said. “We haven’t signed anyone to any deal long-term for the show if it goes beyond a pilot.”

The panel show is set to fulfil Stefanovic’s long held late-night ambitions. “They are taking things slowly and doing it right, which is good,” he told the Herald Sun last week of the show’s progress.

“They want to get the combinations right, I don’t know who they have locked in exactly.

“I think it will be a bit of fun, a bit like Q&A with a bit of commercial sensibility.”

In February, the Today co-host celebrated 10 years behind the desk on Nine’s breakfast show.

Nine executives may be hoping to capitalise on Mr Latham’s recent controversy. Last month, he made headlines for his expletive-laden tirade at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival, abusing host Jonathan Green and swearing at audience members.

Latham also recently resigned as a columnist for The Australian Financial Review along with his regular radio gigs on Sydney’s 2UE.

Mark Latham’s Melbourne Writers Festival appearance was described as “a disappointment” by organisers.