Tristan MacManus joins Sarah Harris as new co-host of Studio 10

Tristan MacManus will join Sarah Harris as co-host of Network 10’s morning program Studio 10.

MacManus, who is also a judge on 10’s Dancing With The Stars, begins his new role on September 14.

In August, the network axed Studio 10 presenters Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Natarsha Belling, who will farewell viewers on Friday. The move was part of a broader cost-cutting drive that will also result in 10’s 5pm Brisbane and Perth news bulletins being anchored by Sandra Sully in Sydney, while its Adelaide bulletin will be hosted by Jennifer Keyte in Melbourne.

Tristan MacManus will join Sarah Harris as the new co-host of Studio 10.Credit: Network 10

The pairing of MacManus with Harris, who has been with Studio 10 since its launch in 2013, marks a shift towards the traditional dual-anchor format of rival breakfast and morning shows.

Among those remaining with Studio 10 are Narelda Jacobs, who will focus on breaking news, and entertainment reporter Angela Bishop. Denise Drysdale, Jono Coleman and Craig Bennett will stay on as contributors.

The network is still in discussions with journalist Joe Hildebrand about his role on Studio 10, which airs live on weekdays between 8am and noon.

I love the fact I can get sunburned on what Australians consider to be a winter’s day.

Tristan MacManus

Studio 10 is in direct competition with the final hour of Seven’s Sunrise and its mid-morning program The Morning Show, as well as Nine’s Today and Today Extra. (Nine is the owner of this masthead.)

“I’ve always had aspirations to be a host of some sort,” said Irish-born MacManus, a professional dancer who has partnered with celebrity contestants on the US version of Dancing With The Stars and the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing. Since 2019, he has been a judge on 10’s revival of Dancing With The Stars, which originally aired on Seven.

“Although people know me as a dancer, I think my mouth usually works better than my feet do,” MacManus said. “This opportunity came out of the blue and I’m really excited to be working with Sarah and learning from her.”

In 2014, MacManus married Australian actor Tahyna Tozzi, who has appeared in the ABC drama Blue Water High and the Hollywood blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Natarsha Belling (second from left) and Kerri-Anne Kennerley (far right) are leaving Studio 10.Credit: Network 10

Tozzi, who had three miscarriages in as many years, will soon release a documentary called Misunderstandings of Miscarriage.

“We want to help people feel that they’re not alone,” MacManus said. “We hope it will start a dialogue and remove some of the stigmas.”

The couple now has a four-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old son.

“We’re incredibly lucky to have two perfect children and to be living in Australia,” MacManus said. “It’s a beautiful country and I love the fact I can get sunburned on what Australians consider to be a winter’s day.”

Sources, who are not authorised to speak publicly, said Network 10 intends to air a third season of Dancing With The Stars in 2021.

Studio 10, which will retain its current set while introducing new segments, is expected to move away from conflict-driven debates between presenters.

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

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