Georgie Gardner missed Channel Nine Upfronts amid news her studio ‘fell apart’ off-screen

Georgie Gardner was among several famous names absent from Thursday’s Channel Nine Upfronts.

The 54-year-old longtime anchor made headlines last month for her alleged conflict with a junior staffer, and insiders speculated about her future at the network.

The newsreader was a no-show at the event held at Carriageworks in Sydney.

“Georgie Gardner wasn’t there and no one was told why,” said the attendee Daily Telegraph.

Channel Nine big names including Karl Stefanovic, Ben Fordham, Amber Sherlock, Sylvia Jeffries, Allison Langdon and even Sophie Monk all turned up for the glamorous event.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nine for comment.

Gardner has just one year left on her Nine contract, which sees her earn $600,000 a year for two days a week, according to reports, prompting insiders to speculate about potential replacements.

The presenter of Nine News Sydney reads the news every Friday and Saturday night for the network.

“Nine is in trouble. There is a huge difference in experience between big names like Georgie Gardner and Karl Stefanovic and everyday reporters like Kate Creedon and Gabriella Boyle,” said the insider. The Daily Telegraph last month

“Some of these people only work two days a week for $600,000. They work two hours a week. It doesn’t work economically.

“The goal will be to make good people do more. This is how the future will be.”

They claimed there are a bunch of eager journalists, such as 60 Minutes reporter Amelia Adams, who want to take over the Nine News role if someone quits.

“Amelia is well-liked and she does her job incredibly well,” they added.

Today Extra co-presenter Sylvia Jeffries and Weekend Today co-host Sophie Walsh are other names that have also been suggested by insiders.

However, any speculation about Gardner’s future at the network is not believed to be related to her alleged conflict with the junior producer.

Last month, reports surfaced of an alleged heated argument in the studio between Gardner and a junior producer.

The star anchor allegedly lashed out at a junior colleague during the Saturday Evening News on August 31.

A television source told Daily Mail Australia that the alleged incident was caused by the way Gardner’s scripts were prepared before airing.

“Georgie came in a terrible mood. She didn’t think the synopsis was satisfactory or the way the credits were written (before the news) and basically said it was crap. The mood was tense, she insisted on rewriting the intro herself.” they said

“The junior producer (whom Daily Mail Australia chose not to name) said she wasn’t done with them yet, prompting Georgie to walk up behind her and tell her to ‘grow up.’

According to the source, a heated argument continued in the studio as the scripts were loaded into the teleprompter.

At least part of the exchange was allegedly recorded and turned over to management for an internal investigation following a formal complaint.

Gardner disappeared from her usual weekend news duties for two weeks after the alleged altercation.

However, she was reportedly on a scheduled vacation and returned to work last Friday night.

Nine declined to comment publicly on the complaint against Gardner.

However, the network’s director of news and current affairs Fiona Dear said in a statement: “Georgie Gardner is a highly respected long-time member of our Nine News team. We offer no further comment.”

There is no indication that Gardner engaged in any misconduct, only that a complaint has been filed and an investigation is underway.