A BBC breakfast show has called out Channel Nine's Today for borrowing their advertisement and using it to promote the debut of new host Georgie Gardner in a new promo.
"We thought this looked familiar!" BBC Breakfast wrote on Twitter overnight alongside a video of their original promo spliced together with Today's.
In a side-by-side comparison, the video shows Channel Nine stars Karl Stefanovic and Georgie Gardener reciting the exact lines said by the British hosts in the original 2016 advertisement.
The promo aired on Nine earlier this month, and featured Gardner and Karl Stefanovic personalising their show for viewers.
"Headlines are coming up ... Jack, your toast is burning," he adds to her teenage son.
The flashy campaign was designed to herald a fresh era of Today without Lisa Wilkinson โ who sensationally defected to Ten last year โ but some eagle-eyed viewers noticed it appears to have recycled content from the BBC One's breakfast show, hosted by Dan Walker and Louise Minchin.
The 2016 promo begins in much the same way as Today's, with the hosts greeting each other, then a mother and her teenage son at home.
"Good morning, this is BBC Breakfast. Good morning Dan โ morning Jenny!" Minchin greets both Walker, along with a woman watching their show from her kitchen. "Headlines are coming up ... Jack, your toast is burning," Walker adds to the woman's teenage son.
It could just be an unbelievable coincidence โ watch both videos below, and you can decide for yourself:
TODAY
BBC ONE
When questioned on the similarities, a Nine spokesman told news.com.au that the ad was no longer running.
"The promo ran for a short period over the summer period and hasn't been on air for more than two weeks," he said.
Gardner was announced as Stefanovic's co-host late last year, following weeks of speculation about who would replace Wilkinson.
The former Today newsreader revealed she would be returning to the desk after a three-year absence in November, describing it as "an enormous privilege".
After the news broke, Gardner appeared on the show, and made light of rumours surrounding her and Stefanovic's rocky past.
"You're all right, Karl," Gardner told her future co-host. "I'm assuming with you we pick up where we left off. That is me running amok and you keeping me in line.
"Jokes aside, you know how much respect I've had for you. There's been a bit of conjecture over the last few weeks how we feel about each other, loathe each other ... You know, we have had our bumps, we've had our laughs."
