‘Nothing lasts forever’: Georgie Gardner’s emotional final farewell as she leaves Nine
Veteran presenter Georgie Gardner has offered audiences an emotional final message as she signed off for the very last time on Friday night.
Georgie Gardner has signed off for the very last time, telling the Nine News audience: “Nothing lasts forever and for me, it’s time to move on.”
The veteran presenter teared up as she issued her final farewell at the end of the 6pm news bulletin on Friday night after an emotional flashback reel featuring clips from her 24 years at the network.
She joked that, “watching that reel is a reminder of what hideous hair I’ve had over the years,” before moving to a more serious note.
“It has never been lost on me that this role comes with duty, a duty to be accurate, impartial and informative, but also to be human and sincere and respectful,” she said.
An emotional Georgie Gardner has signed off for the very last time. Picture: Nine News
“Since announcing my resignation, I have been humbled and overwhelmed by your messages. Such kindness, encouragement and goodwill feel particularly precious during these turbulent times, so thank you.”
Emotion clear in her voice, she added: “I’ll miss you, but I’m also so grateful to have experienced something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
They played clips from her 24 years at the network. Picture: Instagram/Nine
Gardner later joked about some of her “hideous hair” over the years. Picture: Instagram/Nine
This masthead’s Annette Sharp reported that Gardner was let go by Nine news boss Fiona Dear as the network searches for cost savings, with the contract termination saving Nine’s embattled TV division $600,000 a year.
Nine on Friday denied not renewing Gardner’s contract.
The news of Gardner’s departure was announced in an email to staff in March from Dear, who described Gardner as loved and respected by audiences across the country.
“Her versatility as a journalist allowed her to take on reporting, hosting and presenting roles across the network, but it was her nine years on the Today show as newsreader and host that firmly established Georgie as a household name,” Dear said, The Daily Telegraph reported at the time.
