'Outrageous and gutless': Nine slams Georgie Gardner pay-off claims

Nine has come out swinging against allegations that Today show host Georgie Gardner was paid off to keep quiet about her co-star Karl Stefanovic's "Ubergate" scandal earlier this year, labelling the claims as "disgusting" and "completely untrue".

The claims, which first appeared in New Idea, accuse Gardner of accepting hush money after the Ubergate fallout, during which Stefanovic and his brother, journalist Peter Stefanovic, were reprimanded for criticising their Nine colleagues during an Uber ride earlier this year.

On Monday, Nine's national director of news and current affairs Darren Wick strongly refuted the claims, reiterating that he himself had dealt with the Nine stars in the wake of the scandal.

"I think the allegations are disgusting and they’re completely wrong, they’re completely untrue. There’s no suggestion of us paying anyone," Wick said. "We don't do that, I’ve never heard of it being done, it’s just a ludicrous claim.

Today show host Georgie Gardner at the 2018 Logie Awards in July. Credit: AAP

"It's an outrageous suggestion, a completely false claim. It's got no basis in fact whatsoever."

Wick also defended Gardner's character, describing her as "immensely popular" and "very professional".

"Georgie's not that type of person," Wick said. "She wouldn’t even entertain something like that, we wouldn’t entertain something like that. I wouldn’t, our CEO wouldn't.

"I think it’s insulting. Georgie’s a wonderful person ... For an attack on her like this, I personally think [it's] outrageous. And frankly, gutless. It’s also just plain ridiculous."

Gardner declined to comment.

The 48-year-old journalist took over from former Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson in January, after Wilkinson's surprise resignation at the end of last year.

Despite a somewhat rocky start alongside Stefanovic, thanks to Ubergate - Wick says, "They’ve dealt with it, they’ve had their own private conversations and they’ve moved on from it. They’ve resolved it" - Gardner has gone on to become a popular addition to team.

Wick labels the accusations against Gardner as "unfair".

"I just think any attack ... this magazine and online publication don’t exactly have a stellar track record with reporting conversations factually, so I’m just going on what I’ve seen and what I’ve read, and on the basis of that of course it’s unfair.

"To throw mud and try and hurt everyone else is ridiculous."

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are owned by Nine.