Mark Richardson, Amanda Gillies, and Duncan Garner have all left The AM Show. Photo / Three via Facebook
Mark Richardson, Amanda Gillies, and Duncan Garner have all left The AM Show. Photo / Three via Facebook
And then there were none.
That's the case for The AM Show's original lineup: Duncan Garner, Amanda Gillies and Mark Richardson.
It was revealed yesterday that Gillies and Richardson finish with the show at the end of the year to take up other opportunities at Discovery NZ's television network Three - just weeks after Garner swiftly exited the morning current affairs show. Garner's replacement Ryan Bridge remains the only host who will continue on the show in 2022.
There is speculation the show is in for a bigger shakeup than just new presenters in the new year.
According to Discovery, viewership is on the rise: "The AM Show averaged a 31.2 share of the audience last week, its highest result since 2019," it told the Herald.
It said 626,383 people tuned into The AM Show this month compared with 566,980 in the 5+ category. The 25-54 demographic is also "showing strong growth with a 4.9 per cent gain in reach" and 292,375 Kiwis tuned in this month compared to 278,724 last September in the 25-54 age group.
In comparison to TVNZ's show in the same time slot, Discovery says it is "beating Breakfast".
"So far in September this year The AM Show has consistently beaten Breakfast in the morning time slot ratings - winning eight out of 15 days.
"This is a noticeable jump from August, where The AM Show won the time slot just once in the month."
The Herald has approached TVNZ for their ratings figures but the broadcaster has yet to respond.
Discovery confirmed Gillies and Richardson's departure from The AM Show - and hinted at a potential rebrand for the show.
"Looking ahead to 2022, we have an exciting opportunity to reinvigorate the format of The AM Show," director news Sarah Bristow said.
She added, "evolving the existing format of the show is a natural progression".
Whatever that evolution may be, it has to stack up against the main competitor, TVNZ's Breakfast.
Amanda Gillies and Mark Richardson announce resignation
The hosts announced the news this morning live on the show. Richardson and Gillies are staying on for the next two and a half months to help mentor Bridge. Gillies is Newshub's new national correspondent and Richardson will continue to host The Block NZ and appear on The Project.
Bridge joked that he felt like "he had BO or something". He paid tribute to his hosts and promised they would "be naughty as hell" for the next few months. He also hoped a bit of them would rub off on him.
The original AM Show presenters have all resigned within weeks of each other. Photo / Three
Richardson and Gillies have hosted the show together for the past five years.
Gillies said it had been a fantastic run. "So many big stories, so many unforgettable moments and let's face it, so many laughs." She said she would still be part of the Newshub family, just at a different time and with no more early morning alarms.
