Channel 9 Presenter Departures: Who Left in 2025

When a familiar newsreader suddenly vanishes from the screen, it often signals more than just a career break. This guide traces the confirmed departures of Clint Stanaway, Kate Collins, Andrew Lofthouse, and Alex Cullen, and examines what the talent exodus says about Nine’s on-air strategy in 2025.

Years at Nine: Clint Stanaway 25 ·
Departure date: Alex Cullen January 2025 ·
Departure reason: Andrew Lofthouse Retirement ·
Departure context: Kate Collins Axed days after husband separation

A glance at the four confirmed departures reveals one pattern: each exit stems from a different trigger — retirement, sponsorship controversy, corporate redundancy, and an undisclosed career change.

Why is Clint Stanaway leaving Channel 9?

Clint Stanaway, co-host of Weekend Today and a 25-year veteran of the Nine Network, is departing at the end of 2025. He announced his exit in September 2025 via social media, stating he was pursuing a “new career move” without providing further details. Nine for Brands, the network’s official press arm, confirmed the departure in a brief statement thanking Stanaway for his service.

• Announced: September 2025 (Nine for Brands (official network))
• Effective: End of 2025 (Nine for Brands (official network))
• Reason: Undisclosed — described as a “new career move” (Nine for Brands (official network))

Reaction from colleagues

Long-time co-host Karl Stefanovic paid tribute on air, calling Stanaway a “rock” of the weekend broadcast. “We’ll miss him dearly,” Stefanovic said.

The implication: Stanaway’s departure leaves a significant gap in Nine’s weekend programming after a quarter-century of service. The network has not indicated whether the exit was voluntary or part of broader restructuring.

What happened to Kate Collins?

Kate Collins, a newsreader for 9News Adelaide, left the network in November 2025. Her departure was not voluntary — she was sacked just days after news broke of her separation from her husband. The Nine Network has not issued an official statement explaining the reason for her dismissal.

• Role: Weekend newsreader, 9News Adelaide (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• Departure date: November 2025 (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• Context: Sacked after husband separation (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• No official reason from Nine (Wikipedia – Nine News)

Connection to husband separation

Reports from local Adelaide media, including The Chronicle, linked Collins’ sacking to her personal separation from her husband. Nine has not confirmed any connection. The lack of an official explanation leaves the situation unclear.

The catch: Without an official statement from Nine, the facts surrounding Collins’ exit remain ambiguous, and her termination stands as the most controversial of the 2025 departures.

What has happened to Andrew Lofthouse?

Andrew Lofthouse, a presenter for 9News Queensland, announced his retirement in January 2025, effective immediately. Lofthouse had been with the Nine Network for 17 years at the time of his retirement, according to Wikipedia’s Nine News page.

• Role: Presenter, 9News Queensland (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• Tenure: 17 years (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• Announced: January 2025 (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• Effective immediately (Wikipedia – Nine News)

Retirement announcement

Lofthouse’s retirement was among the first major presenter departures of 2025. He did not provide a quoted explanation for his decision, but the retirement was described as voluntary, in contrast to the corporate redundancies that followed for other staff.

The pattern: Lofthouse’s exit was voluntary and retirement-based — the clearest case of an amicable departure among the four. It stands apart from Collins’ sacking and Cullen’s controversy-driven exit.

Who else has left Channel 9 recently?

Beyond the four main figures, several other departures have occurred in 2025. Amber Sherlock was made redundant in November 2025 as part of job cuts across Nine’s Broadcast and Streaming Divisions, according to Wikipedia’s Nine News page. Kelly resigned in June 2025 to spend more time with family.

Why did Alex Cullen leave the Today show?

Alex Cullen, a sports presenter on the Today show, stepped down in January 2025 after a sponsorship controversy involving a luxury car brand — referred to as the “Lambo guy” scandal in media reports. Cullen’s departure was tied to an undisclosed sponsorship deal that raised conflict-of-interest concerns. He left the show immediately.

• Role: Sports presenter, Today show (Nine for Brands (official network))
• Announced: January 2025 (Nine for Brands (official network))
• Reason: Sponsorship controversy (Nine for Brands (official network))
• Effective immediately (Nine for Brands (official network))

Other departures in 2025

• Amber Sherlock: Made redundant November 2025 (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• Kelly: Resigned June 2025 for family reasons (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• Kate Haberfield: Departed January 2023 (for long-term context) (Wikipedia – Nine News)

Why this matters: Nine’s 2025 departures include at least one voluntary retirement, one resignation, one redundancy linked to corporate cuts, and one sacking. This diversity of exit types reveals a network undergoing both natural attrition and deliberate restructuring.

Who is replacing Clint Stanaway on Weekend Today?

As of the latest announcements, a permanent replacement for Clint Stanaway on Weekend Today has not been named. Nine for Brands has stated that the network will announce a successor in due course. Short-term fill-in presenters have been used since his exit was announced.

• Departure date: End of 2025 (Nine for Brands (official network))
• Replacement status: Not yet announced (Nine for Brands (official network))
• Network’s plans: Successor TBA (Nine for Brands (official network))

The trade-off: Nine faces a difficult decision — promote an internal talent from the weekend news desk or bring in an external name. Both options carry risks for ratings and chemistry with existing co-host Karl Stefanovic.

“We’ll miss him dearly. Clint has been a rock for Weekend Today for years.”

Karl Stefanovic, co-host of Today, farewell message (via Yahoo Lifestyle (media))

“Nine thanks Clint for his dedicated service and wishes him well in his next chapter.”

Nine spokesperson, official statement (via Nine for Brands (official network))

Timeline of Channel 9 presenter departures (2025)

Five events, one sequence: From retirement to redundancy, the departures unfolded across the year in distinct phases.

• January 2025: Andrew Lofthouse retires from 9News Queensland (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• January 2025: Alex Cullen leaves Today show after sponsorship controversy (Nine for Brands (official network))
• June 2025: Kelly resigns for family reasons (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• September 2025: Clint Stanaway confirms exit from Nine (Nine for Brands (official network))
• November 2025: Kate Collins sacked from 9News Adelaide (Wikipedia – Nine News)
• November 2025: Amber Sherlock made redundant (Wikipedia – Nine News)

The implication: The timeline shows that no single quarter of 2025 passed without at least one on-air departure — a pace of turnover unusual for Australia’s major networks.

For Australian viewers who have watched these newsreaders deliver nightly bulletins, the sudden gaps on the screen raise an uncomfortable question: Is Nine’s on-air talent pool thinning by design or by accident? With retirements, redundancies, and scandals piling up, the network faces a choice — invest in the next generation of presenters, or risk losing audience trust in an already turbulent television landscape.

Among the notable exits, Livinia Nixons departure from 9News after 21 years marked the end of an era for Melbourne viewers.

Frequently asked questions

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