Jessica Rowe doesn’t ‘regret’ her stint on Today Show as she reflects on her humiliating sacking

Jessica Rowe has reflected on her traumatic departure from Channel Nine in 2007.

The 52-year-old journalist left the network in 2007, reportedly over a pay dispute, a year after then-CEO Eddie McGuire threatened to “fire” her, i.e. fire her, as host of the Today show.

Jessica told the Stellar podcast something to talk about on Sunday, who does not regret his time on the breakfast program.

“I look back on that moment and I can feel my stomach turn…it’s so visceral. It was the wells. But at the same time I have no regrets,” she said.

And because I am a firm believer in seizing opportunity, we only get one chance in life. And when amazing things come your way, you have to try. So I was determined to do my best.

The TV host also revealed that she was constantly criticized for everything from her chemistry with her co-host Karl Stefanovic to the way she laughed.

In 2021, he told New Idea: ‘I couldn’t comprehend the level of evil directed at me.’

“All because I was smiling, I had short hair, I was too skinny, I didn’t have a child, people didn’t know I was going through IVF at the time, and I snort when I laugh,” she added.

“It was so public and cruel, definitely the hardest thing I’ve been through, career-wise.

They teased me mercilessly and I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong. Now I know I did nothing wrong. I was just being myself.

The 52-year-old journalist left the network in 2007, reportedly due to a pay dispute, a year after then-CEO Eddie McGuire threatened to “fire” her, i.e. fire her, as host of the Today show. Pictured with then Nine CEO Eddie McGuire on July 25, 2006, in Sydney

In 2006 Jessica came to the limelight when she moved from Channel 10 to the Nine Network to replace Tracy Grimshaw as co-host of the Today show.

But the scandal erupted when Nine CEO Eddie McGuire allegedly asked when he could “fire” Jessica, with reports suggesting that at that point he intended to “fire” her.

He reportedly made the comments during a conversation with his then-deputy Jeffrey Browne and Nine’s head of news and current affairs, Mark Llewellyn.

What are we going to do with Jessica? When should we bone it? I think it should be next week,” McGuire was reported as asking.

Llewellyn then allegedly told McGuire that the network could also risk losing Jessica’s husband, Nine News reporter Peter Overton, if she were fired.

McGuire is said to have responded, “Maybe we’ll have to take that chance,” before Browne added, “She’s a laughing stock and if we keep her on the air, we’ll be a laughing stock.”

Jessica told the Stellar Something to Talk About podcast on Sunday that she has no regrets about her stint on the breakfast show.

McGuire has since denied using the term ‘bone’ in the conversation, which was introduced by Llewellyn’s affidavit (which was made public after he left the network for rival station Seven).

Speaking of the ‘boning’ incident years later, Jessica said people forget ‘how powerful words can be and how they can hurt like hell’, adding that she was still ‘terribly upset’ by what happened.

“That year was a terrible time in my life and it was not helped by the public abuse, the abuse within the network that I worked for and the abuse of someone who was in charge of that particular network,” he said. Sydney Morning Herald in 2016.

“It was horrible and it came ahead of a very dark period in my life. A lot of factors contributed to a perfect storm… and it saddens me terribly.”

Jessica left the Today show in 2007 following her return from maternity leave. At the time, she cited payment problems as the reason for her departure.

The TV host also revealed that she was constantly criticized for everything from her chemistry with her co-host Karl Stefanovic to the way she laughed.

She then joined Channel Seven as a presenter for Seven News in Sydney, before taking part in Dancing with the Stars.

Jessica moved to Weekend Sunrise in late 2010 and stayed there for three years.

In 2013, she signed with Network Ten and hosted the Studio 10 morning show alongside Ita Buttrose, Joe Hildebrand, Sarah Harris and Denise Drysdale.

In March 2018, he announced that he was resigning from the show to spend more time with his family.

In 2021, he told New Idea, “I couldn’t comprehend the level of evil directed at me.”