Outspoken Jessica Rowe addresses rumours of returning to Today
Jessica Rowe has finally addressed the intense speculation that she is the top candidate to replace Lisa Wilkinson as co-host on the Today show, making it clear that she has no interest in moving back to the popular breakfast show.
In an interview with KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O, Rowe was asked if there was any truth to the rumours that she had been approached by Channel Nine.
“No, are you joking?” Rowe said. “I could think of nothing worse, myself.”
Rowe explained to the radio duo that she’s “been there, done that” referring to when she co-hosted Today with Karl Stefanovic from 2006 to 2007.
In the interview, Rowe claimed that “hell would freeze over first” before she would make a return to the show.
Rowe, who is married to Channel Nine newsreader Peter Overton, copped backlash during her time on Today.
In the TV personality’s memoir, she explained how she believed she was “hung out to dry” by Channel Nine management after an awkward moment during an interview with Brigadier Michael Slater when he was in East Timor.
“I had an earpiece in my left ear, so the producer could talk to me while the show went to air to suggest questions, give me information or tell me to wind up the interview,” Rowe wrote.
“Brigadier Slater appeared on the satellite dressed in his army fatigues, two armed soldiers behind him. Before long I heard the voice of the producer, in my earpiece. ‘How can it be so safe with those soldiers behind him? Ask the question, Jess,’ he said.”
After the producer continued to persist for her to ask the question, Rowe asked, “I’m wondering how you feel about your safety given that you’ve got armed guards there behind you, armed soldiers?”
“Jessica, I feel quite safe, yes, but not because I’ve got these armed soldiers behind me that were put there by your stage manager to make it look good,” the interviewee replied.
Rowe responded to the awkward incident by immediately apologising and confessing that she was unaware the stage manager had set it up. After the show, Rowe suggested to the publicity department to release a statement about the mistake.
“I was told I was overreacting,” Rowe wrote in her memoir.
“The next day I was pilloried on radio and in the newspapers. My unheard defence was, of course, that I was totally unaware the shot had been set up by our team.”
“Of course, I realised the buck stopped with me, but I felt like I was being hung out to dry.”
During her time on the program, Rowe also clashed with Nine’s CEO at the time, Eddie McGuire.
Less than a year of Rowe’s hosting gig, McGuire allegedly said, “What are we gonna do about Jessica? When should we bone her? I reckon it should be next week.”
McGuire denied saying this, however, his former colleague Mark Llewellyn signed an affidavit to say that he did.
Other TV presenters who have said they are not interested in moving to Today include Sarah Harris and Georgie Gardner.
Deborah Knight and Sylvia Jeffreys are now the frontrunners to score the co-hosting role with Stefanovic.