Some fresh faces for Weekend Today

NINE News presenter Deborah Knight and newsreader Sylvia Jeffreys have been appointed the new Weekend Today hosts.

Weekend Hosts

NINE News presenter Deborah Knight and newsreader Sylvia Jeffreys have been appointed the new Weekend Today hosts, replacing Leila McKinnon while she is on maternity leave.

Knight, the current newsreader, will move to co-host alongside Cameron Williams, and Jeffreys will read the news, with the changes taking effect after McKinnon’s last day on April 20. “Hopefully we can provide some good entertainment for Leila when she is at home with baby No 2 on the couch,” Jeffreys said yesterday.

Jeffreys started in Brisbane as an on-air reporter for Nine News in 2009, and, since her move to Sydney two years ago, she has risen through the ranks fairly quickly.

The glamorous reporter, who recently started dating Karl Stephanovic’s younger brother, Peter, has been identified as an up-and-coming star within the network.

Executives love both her Queensland sense of humour and her Queensland good looks.

“Sylvia has been getting a lot more exposure. We have been throwing a lot more challenges at her,’’ Nine head of news and current affairs Darren Wick said.

“She has one the busiest cards on the network. She is doing 6pm weather, Weekend Today and filling in for other jobs from time to time.

“She gels in with the Weekend Today team pretty well and she has that Queensland sense of ­humour.”

Jeffreys and Stefanovic fell in love over the summer when they were both filling in on the Today Show.

“That was the first time we met properly, face to face, and that’s when a connection started and we got to know each other,’’ Jeffreys said. Stefanovic will probably move back to Australia at the end of this year from ­Europe, where he has been the Nine Network’s correspondent for seven years.

“I warned Wickie there may be a few tantrums from me if he doesn’t oblige,’’ Jeffreys joked.

It is understood Nine is looking at a number of roles for Stefanovic, including the possibility of 60 Minutes.

“We’ll have a game plan in place for Pete,’’ Wick said.

“He is an outstanding journalist and person. Nothing is a problem for the guy. Everyone loves working with him.”

Selecting the new team for Weekend Today — which is rating 284,000 against Sunrise’s 320,000 so far this year, according to OzTAM’s 5 City Metro data — was a careful process.

The new team will be up against Andrew O’Keefe, Monique Wright, Simon Reeve and James Tobin on Weekend Sunrise. “We’re not throwing people in and trialling them. Those days are long gone with Nine,” Wick said.

“Deb has been the regular co-host when Leila has been away. She’s terrifically experienced. She anchors her own show, was a Canberra correspondent and has a great sense of humour.

“Her and Cameron are a terrific team.”