People have raced to defend the presenter and said he needs time to find his feet.
Today show viewers are willing to give Michael Willesee Jr a chance as he’s trialled as Karl Stefanovic’s possible replacement.
Channel 9 is cycling through internal and external talent to find someone who can fill the incredibly large shoes of the axed TV presenter, who was on the program for more than two decades.
Michael made his grand debut on Monday and was quickly criticised for being too stiff for morning television.
A poll of more than 1,500 Yahoo Lifestyle readers found 71 per cent didn’t think he should stay on as a co-host beyond his trial period.
But viewers are urging critics to slow down.
“Perhaps Mike will improve as time goes by,” one told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“Sometimes it’s refreshing to see someone who is not always laughing at themselves,” added another.
“Everyone starting something somewhere has to find their feet, give him a chance,” wrote a third.
The main criticism Michael received was that he didn’t have that jovial pizzazz that’s needed on breakfast telly.
He’s previously been a presenter on Sky News Australia, and filed reports for A Current Affair and Nine News Australia.
Michael is also the son of famed journalist Mike Willesee and husband of A Current Affair presenter Allison Langdon.
While the presenters on Today and Sunrise need to be able to have a serious interview with a politician or a struggling Aussie, they also need to be able to flip a switch and turn on the smiles.
Media commentator Andrew Mercado told Yahoo Lifestyle it’s no easy task to host a show like Today as it’s a very “intimate” setting
“They want a very particular person to do it because people are at home in their pyjamas,” he said.
It’s unclear how many people Channel 9 will cycle through before picking someone, and they have plenty of in-house talent to choose from.
Nine News Melbourne presenter Tom Steinfort was in Karl’s seat for two weeks before being replaced by the network’s chief political correspondent Charles Croucher.
The network is also looking to fill Sarah Abo’s role, after she went on maternity leave last week, and sports presenter Danika Mason will follow suit at the end of the year.
That means the Today show could look very different by Christmas.
