Kamahl Santamaria quits TVNZ: Who will replace him on Breakfast couch?

Who will replace Kamahl Santamaria on Breakfast? Photo / Supplied

OPINION:

After barely a month, Breakfast host Kamahl Santamaria resigned after vanishing from morning TV, leaving his spot on the couch vacant.

And while the exact reasons behind that departure remain largely secretive, it's no secret that TVNZ will have just one plan in mind: damage control.

But when weaknesses are exposed, the competition strikes, and Discovery appears confident plugging away behind the scenes, content in its new look AM show offering.

So what's the right move for TVNZ? Fill the Santamaria's barely worn shoes with haste? Or wait and see how things play out, leaving the couch with just three presenters? The latter is entirely possible.

But time isn't on TVNZ's side, with big upcoming events like the Commonwealth Games, likely to further deplete on-couch presenters. The clock is well and truly ticking for the TV giant to front up and make some good calls.

With just Jenny-May Clarkson, Matty McLean and Indira Stewart left, viewers have already started to speculate who might slot into the fresh imprint on the cream couch.

Will Breakfast go bold and implement a permanently female-dominated couch? Or will it pull out all the punches - and the chequebook - to secure a huge name and a huge personality?

Here's five presenters and one alternative solution that could see TVNZ pull off a quick recovery.

Brodie Kane

Brodie Kane's banter is unmatched. Photo / The Hits

Kane is a familiar face to morning TV and with her recent move back to Auckland, and stint on DWTS - the broadcaster would be a strong choice for a replacement. Her banter with co-hosts comes easy and she has an existing relationship with practically the entire couch. While hard news isn't her forte, she would fit in easy and not further frustrate remaining presenters - something TVNZ needs to be cautious of.

Tāmati Rimene-Sproat

Tāmati Rimene-Sproat. Photo / Supplied

Rimene-Sproat is a star on the rise and the ultimate plus is that he's already on the payroll. He's passionate about Māori storytelling, fluent in te Reo and a brilliant storyteller. He's young enough to help expand the audience demographic, wise enough to not be high-risk and has a moustache that screams "I long to be a lead TV anchor".

Jack Tame

Jack Tame would be a great fit for the spot. Photo / TVNZ

The Q+A and ZB presenter has a lot of the same redeeming qualities as John Campbell - he's smart, likeable and good looking. He ticks all the right boxes and is a chameleon in his ability to cover both hard news and have a laugh with bestie McLean. But Tame is unlikely to be swayed by the couch, with his current offerings proving a safer bet with a more attractive alarm clock spot.

Pippa Wetzell

Fair-Go presenter Pippa Wetzel. Photo / TVNZ

As far as New Zealand presenters go, they don't come much more adored than Wetzell. The Fair Go host brings oodles of charm, experience and has the wheelhouse to cover both hard news and Breakfast banter. But Wetzell's Fair Go spot is likely to prove too hard to let go of and too risky when she's already got one of the best gigs in the business.

Paul Henry

Broadcasting legend Paul Henry. Photo / Supplied

While it's almost laughable to assume Henry would consider the spot, he does have all the right stuff to save face and bring audience. He's smart, funny and pulls an audience - why wouldn't TVNZ want to open its chequebooks and see what it could negotiate? Henry's no-nonsense (yet all the non-sense) attitude would draw attention away from scandal and back where it belongs.

No-one

In what could be the smartest decision for the network, simply waiting and not replacing Santamaria at all could well work in its favour. A hasty replacement is likely to cause more harm than good with current staff. Many viewers have expressed similar concerns in recent social media comments stating they feel there were already too many presenters.

TVNZ is best placed to fill gaps with young talent already in the newsroom, sit tight on new hires and not further delay issuing firm statements about what it stands for as a company.