Explosive battle of the blondes erupts as 60 Minutes stars snub Tracy Grimshaw following very public revelation that has sent shockwaves through Nine

EXCLUSIVE

An unprecedented ‘battle of the blondes’ is about to break out in the corridors of Channel Nine as the network’s three biggest stars – Tracy Grimshaw, Liz Hayes and Tara Brown – battle it out for crucial airtime on the network’s flagship program.

Grimshaw publicly confirmed growing speculation that she would be reporting for 60 Minutes after posting a photo of herself snuggling up to a former Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson Friday at the Bondi Pavilion.

The former A Current Affair host said she had just interviewed “The Body” for her first 60 Minutes story in more than four decades at the network, but her new co-stars ignored her.

Macpherson, who has appeared on the show several times before, was in Sydney for a publicity push to mark the launch of her autobiography, Elle.

‘On assignment for @60minutes9 – only took 43 years! @ellemacpherson is in the ‘hood. Details to follow,’ Grimshaw wrote alongside two behind-the-scenes photos from the upcoming interview, which airs this Sunday.

The news was warmly received by well-known TV presenters, including Lisa Wilkinson, but none of her new fellow reporters at 60 Minutes responded positively to it.

The Channel Nine icon has interviewed former Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson for an upcoming episode of the long-running weekly news and current affairs show

Wilkinson, former Today presenter and close friend of Grimshaw, congratulated her, saying: “About time, Trace! Your fantastic interviewing skills will be missed.”

Also offering words of encouragement were newly recruited Ten newsreader Sharyn Ghidella, former Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage and former Today presenter Jessica Rowe.

But the announcement was completely ignored online by the current 60 Minutes staff.

A Nine source told Daily Mail Australia that the unexpected report, which aired four days before the network was due to promote the story, came as a complete surprise to some of Nine’s top executives.

It also broke a long-standing “Insta ban” on any posts that preemptively revealed details of future stories before they were made public by the program.

“She’s not actually allowed to tell anyone what we’re working on until the promo is out,” an insider told Daily Mail Australia.

“If it had been anyone other than Tracy, they would have been reprimanded for that.”

It was not determined whether Grimshaw’s report had raised concerns within the network, nor whether her upcoming 60 Minutes story would lead to a full-time job with the program. It was suggested that more reports might follow.

“We enjoyed Tracy’s contribution to this week’s 60 Minutes and would love for her to bring her signature interviewing style to the show, if circumstances permit,” a spokeswoman said.

Daily Mail Australia reported last month that the network’s star contracts are being reviewed as the network tries to cut costs in preparation for the biggest talent purge in its history.

Nine star Liz Hayes is one of the network’s most beloved and recognizable faces

Tara Brown continues to impress with her razor-sharp interviewing skills

Nine’s embattled executives have long toyed with the idea of ​​moving Grimshaw to 60 Minutes to justify her six-figure annual contract as the cash-strapped broadcaster’s staff budgets shrink.

But the issue is extra sensitive because Grimshaw’s arrival pits the award-winning interviewer against the show’s current leads, Hayes and Brown.

According to insiders, Nine’s management is particularly surprised by the way they have to manage the three well-known and well-paid network icons.

“There are too many white, blonde women making too much money and not enough work for them,” one of them told Daily Mail Australia.

“It’s a constant headache for them. (Nine boss Mike) Sneesby doesn’t want to lose any of them – why would you? They’re all great talent.

“The problem is: how are you going to pay for it all?”

Sneesby slashed the network’s budget and cut about 200 jobs across the company’s print and broadcast empires in June as part of a $30 million cost-cutting exercise.

Although the round of layoffs was completed last month, more layoffs are inevitably on the way.

Nine Entertainment, which owns Channel Nine along with streaming service Stan and a number of local newspapers and radio stations, last week announced that net profit for the 2023/24 financial year had fallen by almost a third to $134.9 million.

And the media company’s chief financial officer, Matt Stanton, said the company save another $50 million on underlying costs this budget year.

Rising star Amelia Adams has wowed bosses since joining 60 Minutes last year

Complicating matters further is the rise of a new generation of skilled female journalists at the company.

Young talents Amelia Adams and Dimity Clancey continue to impress since joining 60 Minutes last year.

And unlike their older colleagues, who cling to the perks of business class travel, the rising stars are happy to ‘socialise’ in economy class, alongside the show’s hard-working producers and crew.

“Amelia has proven herself time and time again over the past year and Dimity has made an immediate impact since joining last summer,” an insider said.

The problem is, how does 60 Minutes cover the costs of four major female stars?

“And ultimately, the series just doesn’t have the budget for that. Even in its heyday, that wasn’t possible.”

Dimity Clancey is seen as one of the network’s most versatile and valuable talents

Another noted, “It’s like musical chairs: they want everyone at the Nine Festival, but someone will be left without a chair.”

It’s not the first time Grimshaw has surprised Nine’s board with an unexpected announcement.

The news veteran surprised them – and A Current Affairs viewers – by revealing she would be stepping down as the show’s host during the show’s live broadcast in September 2022.

At the time, network executives believed the decision was still subject to negotiation.

Grimshaw has now signed a one-year contract with the network.

She remains one of the channel’s most popular faces and this year presented the well-received four-part medical series Do You Want To Live Forever?

60 Minutes stars Liz Hayes and Tara Brown join new addition Adam Hegarty at this year’s Logies

However, sources say Nine executives could no longer justify her salary for such low production, given falling profits.

“The good old days of locking up well-paid ‘talent’ and sending them overseas for one or two specials a year are long gone,” said one senior network executive.

“Every dollar of every deal must be accounted for to shareholders and the market.

‘The financial controllers and the management team have been in heated meetings for months trying to figure out how we can afford to keep all our big names on the books. The sad truth is: we can’t.’

Beloved network star Hayes is already set to receive a quarter-million dollar salary cut after executives quietly canceled her eponymous true crime series, Under Investigation starring Liz Hayes, to cut costs.

The shock cancellation came just weeks before the popular network star was up for a coveted Silver Logie for her work as the show’s host. There have already been a number of high-profile layoffs.