She’s one of Australia’s favourite TV personalities, but now Denise Drysdale has left fans concerned after she responded to rumours that she’s planning on leaving the hugely popular Studio 10 show for good.
On Wednesday, entertainment journalist Peter Ford appeared on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show in Sydney, claiming Drysdale was calling it a day.
“She’s quitting the Studio 10 show,” Ford said. “She’s chucking it in. She’s now got the house all built on the Gold Coast. She’s got a new baby on the way. She’s adopted a dog.”
On Thursday’s episode of Studio 10, the 69-year-old clarified what was actually happening with her career and retirement plans. She told co-host Sarah Harris the rumours weren’t exactly true and that she wasn’t leaving the show for good as reports had claimed.
“I thought I would be leaving,” she said. “I’ve been doing this job and touring for 54 years and it’s been getting to me and I’m just sick of the travel and sick of sleeping in other people’s beds.
“I went to Luce [Studio 10 executive producer] and said, ‘look, I need to go’ and then I had a meeting.”
Producers didn’t want the Gold Logie winner to leave forever and told her to have a break and come back when she’s ready.
“How lucky am I?” she said. “At my age to still be working, but to have that opportunity to go and have a little break.”
Harris explained there were rumours online suggesting she was having a baby and that’s why she was leaving the show, but Drysdale said she wanted to spend more time with a dog she’s adopted. She is also going on a cruise in September, getting her dog trained and will return to the show in 2019.
“It’s too good a job,” she gushed, while confirming she will still be completing stories for the show from her Queensland home while she’s away.
Her co-hosts thought she was leaving for good and organised a Brussels sprout cake for her. Fans will recall she infamously threw sprouts at former co-host Ita Buttrose during a spat last year.
The show is currently presented by Drysdale, Harris, Joe Hildebrand, Denise Scott and Angela Bishop. There’s no word yet on who will replace the star when she takes her break. In addition to her Studio 10 hosting duties, Drysdale will appear as a special guest in an upcoming episode of Neighbours.