Sarah Abo Reportedly in Talks with Channel Seven After Nine Departure

Sarah Abo has reportedly held private talks with Channel Seven about joining its Melbourne news bulletin, following her dramatic departure from rival network Nine. The Australian reports that Seven's national news boss Ray Kuka met with the former Today presenter during a visit to Melbourne last week.

Abo, 39, is reportedly being considered as a potential successor to long-time newsreader Peter Mitchell, or as a co-anchor alongside him in the new year. These discussions come after reports that Abo's loyalty to former co-host Karl Stefanovic contributed to tensions with Nine before her exit.

The potential move represents a setback for Seven veteran Mike Amor, who is understood to have viewed himself as Mitchell's likely successor. According to The Australian, Kuka informed Amor in a separate meeting that he was not in immediate line for the flagship bulletin. Amor currently presents Seven's weekend Melbourne news with Karina Carvalho.

While Abo remains on Nine's payroll until the end of the year, her departure agreement reportedly allows her to negotiate with competing networks and announce a new position before then. No appointment has yet been confirmed.

Abo has a prior connection to Seven's Melbourne newsroom through news director Chris Salter, with whom she previously worked at Ten. Earlier speculation suggested Abo might initially take a weekend presenting role at Seven before transitioning to weeknights.

Prior reports indicated that Abo had expressed disappointment to senior Nine executives over the handling of Stefanovic's termination before starting her maternity leave in July. Stefanovic's exit followed a controversial interview with Tommy Robinson for his podcast, which was later deleted from YouTube amid backlash. Nine subsequently stated that Stefanovic could not continue at the network while hosting his podcast, leading to his abrupt removal from Today.

News Corp reported that Abo's support for Stefanovic further strained her relationship with Nine, which had reportedly questioned the presenting partnership. Nine later confirmed Abo's departure, despite reportedly offering her another position. In her farewell statement, Abo described motherhood as a new chapter and thanked viewers and her colleagues, stating that she would miss them dearly. Sylvia Jeffreys and Tom Steinfort were confirmed as the replacement Today hosting team last month.