Danika Mason named Alex Cullen’s Today show replacement

It’s one of the prized roles in morning television. Now Channel 9 has named dumped host Alex Cullen’s replacement.

Danika Mason has been appointed the new sports presenter of Nine’s Today show.

Nine’s NRL sideline sports reporter has beaten out the more experienced Nine weekend sports newsreader Roz Kelly to win the prized seat vacated last month following the sacking of Alex Cullen.

Cullen was stood down after accepting a $50,000 payment from Melbourne entrepreneur Adrian Portelli for spruiking the businessman, aka “The Lambo Guy”, during a cross from Nine’s Australian Open tennis coverage.

Danika Mason has been appointed new sports presenter for Nine’s Today show. Picture David Clark

Danika Mason with partner NRL player Liam Knight attending Sam Burgess' wedding. Credit: Instagram.

Today anchor Karl Stefanovic followed suit also spruiking Portelli though no action appears to have been taken against him. He will be reporting from Las Vegas for the NRL’s much-promoted season opener.

News.com.au does not suggest Stefanovic also received payment from Portelli.

Also in Vegas this week for the NRL event is Mason who, it’s said, has the support of the NRL’s influential top brass.

Alex Cullen was stood down after accepting a $50,000 payment from Adrian ‘Lambo Guy’ Portelli.

Adrian Portelli posted a screen shot to his social media showing he deposited the money into Cullen’s bank account. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

Nine is expected to announce Mason’s appointment on Friday.

The network has spent the past month testing candidates for Cullen’s role.

Well-respected mother-of-two Kelly emerged an early favourite internally within Nine however Olympians Ellie Cole and Cate Campbell also tried out for the role along Nine sport reporter Zac Bailey.

Roz Kelly was an early favourite for the role.

Olympic swimmer Cate Campbell also auditioned for the role. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mason joined Nine in 2012 as a newsroom intern before moving to the sports department as a producer.

A reporting role later followed.

Her 2023 relationship breakdown with Sydney fitness trainer Todd Liubinskas created headlines after the couple’s engagement was called off three weeks before Mason was due to walk down the aisle in the Hunter Valley.

Four months after the wedding was to be held Mason was linked to Canterbury Bulldogs player Liam Knight with whom she later confirmed a relationship.