Georgie Gardner gets Lisa’s plum presenter role on Today

Georgie Gardner has been named as Lisa Wilkinson’s replacement on the Today show panel, where she’ll sit alongside Karl Stefanovic in the new year.

It’s a return home for the popular Gardner, who was on the Today panel for seven years until 2014.

Existing presenters Sylvia Jeffreys, Tim Gilbert, Richard Wilkins, Natalia Cooper and Ross Greenwood will remain unchanged in the show’s line-up.

In a statement released by Channel Nine, Gardner said she was thrilled to have the role, one of the most coveted in daytime television.

“It’s not lost on me what a huge honour and great privilege it is,” she said. “It’s an amazing opportunity.”

Gardner had previously ruled out a return to Today, despite plenty of media coverage of the likelihood she’d be offered the role. The 46-year-old left her newsreader position on Today three years ago, saying that the early hours had become too much after seven years.

Wilkinson made a high-profile and unexpected departure from the popular show in October, reportedly after a falling out with the channel over pay.

She is due to join the panel of Channel 10’s The Project in the new year.

Will you enjoy having Georgie Gardener as one of the presenters on Today?