Ex-Sunrise producer Michael Pell has joined a major US TV show in a huge career shake-up after months out of the spotlight.
The executive producer, 42, withdrew from the public eye after leaving Seven in November after almost 19 years, and was last seen in a tagged photo posted online in May.
Pell, who now lives in the US, resurfaced this week while partying with Jackie ‘O’ Henderson in LA during her US travels with KIIS FM.
Now, Pell’s surprising career move has been revealed as he was reportedly employed by Dr. Phil as he tries to break into the United States.
Sources told Daily Telegraph that Pell has been hired by Merit Street, a cable TV and streaming network founded earlier this year by Dr. Phil was launched.
He was reportedly signed on several months ago as an executive producer of the new network’s morning TV show called Morning On Merit Street.
Ny Breaking Australia contacted Pell and Dr. Phil for comments.
For eleven years, Pell drove Sunrise’s success and dominance in the world of TV breakfast news before deciding to move to the US with his partner Daniel Burgess-Wise.
Ex-Sunrise producer Michael Pell has joined a major American TV show of Dr. Phil in a huge career shake-up after months out of the spotlight
Sources told the Daily Telegraph that Pell has been hired by Merit Street, a cable TV and streaming network founded by Dr. Phil (pictured) was launched.
And last weekend, Pell reunited with Australian radio hosts Jackie ‘O’ Henderson and Kylie Sandilands at a wedding in Las Vegas, where he was spotted for the first time in months.
Jackie, 49, took to Instagram to share a gallery of images from the wedding of news anchor Brooklyn Ross and his partner Damien Dirienzo.
Among the photos was a photo of Jackie looking as glamorous as ever as she smiled next to Pell, who looked dapper in a smart suit.
Pell last posted to his own Instagram page in April 2022, when he announced he was leaving his position as executive producer at Sunrise.
Pell posted his job description on Instagram at the time as Senior Vice President, Entertainment Content North America, Seven Network Australia.
Seven confirmed his departure and denied that they had suspended Pell, one of their top executives, and guided Sunrise to the top of the breakfast TV ratings.
In June 2022, Pell spoke about his departure from Seven and shared how he became a taking a break from being on social media, The Daily Telegraph reported in June.
The news comes just days after Pell resurfaced this week when he was spotted partying with Jackie ‘O’ Henderson in Los Angeles during her travels across the United States with KIIS FM
Jackie, 49, took to Instagram to share a gallery of images from the wedding of news anchor Brooklyn Ross and his partner Damien Dirienzo, some of which feature Pell
‘Definitely not working at Seven. I just haven’t been on Insta in months,” he said when asked why his Instagram bio still suggested he worked for Seven at the time.
Australian Financial Statement had previously claimed that two sources at Seven confirmed that Pell had been ‘fired’ from the network because management was trying to cut $60 million in costs, which Seven has since denied.
Pell was promoted by Seven to a “talent scout” role in Los Angeles when he left Brekkie Central in 2022 after 11 years, but he has since left that role.
He led an extremely successful period for Sunrise – Australia’s No. 1 breakfast show – after replacing Adam Boland as executive producer in 2010.
He is credited with helping the programme, which was anchored at the time by Natalie Barr and David Koch, to extend its lead against arch-rival Nine’s Today show.
Before his final day at Sunrise, presenters Natalie Barr and David ‘Kochie’ Koch said an emotional farewell to the much-admired director.