Studio 10 co-host Joe Hildebrand announces he is leaving the show

After weeks of speculation, Joe Hildebrand has revealed that he is leaving Studio 10 as the show undergoes a massive shake-up.

The Studio 10 co-hosts were all in tears this morning as Joe Hildebrand announced he was leaving the show.

“I am leaving Studio 10,” Hildebrand, who been on the show since it started in 2013, said on air. “I have given it a huge amount of thought. It has been really hard.”

Channel 10 announced last month that Studio 10 was getting a major shake-up due to cost cuts with Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Natarsha Belling set to leave the program.

Joe Hildebrand has announced he’s leaving Studio 10.

RELATED: ‘Heartbroken’ Studio 10 hosts address axing on-air

Hildebrand, who writes a weekly column for news.com.au, was offered a diminished role on the show and spent the last few weeks weighing up his future.

“We all know the show is getting a bit of a shake-up,” he said on Studio 10 today. “Channel 10 and my lovely bosses asked me if I would stay in a new role. We talked warmly and openly about what that might look like, and they were really keen and really lovely about it.”

But in the end Hildebrand decided it was better to leave the program and “give the new show, whatever it may look like, a chance to breathe and have a fresh start without me hanging around”.

His last day on air will be tomorrow.

Hildebrand was visibly emotional as he thanked Sarah Harris, who he called his “best friend, my work wife”.

Joe Hildebrand shared a touching moment with Sarah Harris.

RELATED: Read Joe Hildebrand’s most recent news.com.au columns

He also thanked the show’s viewers, saying: “People often stare down their nose at daytime

television because it is only watched by pensioners at home or … housewives. They’re the people I love. They’re the battlers. They’re people who have often had really tough lives and they’ve overcome that and I just draw great strength and inspiration from them.”

As for what he’ll do next, Hildebrand said: “I’m talking to other people about exciting stuff that I can do.”

After announcing the news on-air, Hilderband took to Twitter to release his official statement.

Thank you so so much everybody! I am still trying to reply to everyone but in the meantime here’s my statement on leaving @Studio10au: pic.twitter.com/k4pCUx6cCT

— Joe Hildebrand (@Joe_Hildebrand) September 10, 2020

THE NEW STUDIO 10

Channel 10 announced on the weekend that Dancing With The Stars judge Tristan MacManus would be joining Studio 10 as Sarah Harris’ co-host from September 14 onwards.

Narelda Jacobs will continue to read the news, Angela Bishop will cover entertainment and Denise Drysdale, Craig Bennett and Jono Coleman will still appear from time to time.

Studio 10’s executive producer Tamara Simoneau said at the time: “When searching for the right co-host to join Sarah at the helm of Studio 10 we wanted to think outside the box and choose someone who would help bring plenty of extra sunshine to morning TV at a time when it’s needed most.

Dancing With the Stars’ Tristan MacManus. Picture: Richard Dobson

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“Tristan is charming, funny and fresh with a cheeky Irish side that he’s ready to share with Australia. He might even turn our studio into a dancefloor from time to time and we’re completely OK with that.”