The Project’s Carrie Bickmore tipped to join Today as Ally Landon ‘raises hand for ACA’

Network Ten golden girl Carrie Bickmore is being heavily touted as the next presenter of Today after leaving her long-standing position at The Project.

TV sources have revealed that Bickmore – who has been linked to the Today appearance on at least one other occasion – will eventually take the job in 2023 alongside Karl Stefanovic.

And in what one TV executive described as “an elegant transition,” current Today co-host Allison Langdon could be taking on the host role on A Current Affair in lieu of an outgoing Tracy Grimshaw.

The high-profile changes could mean a much-anticipated boost in ratings for Today, which has long taken a beating from Seven’s Sunrise and recently dropped to 155,000 viewers in the five-city metro market.

Popular with viewers and her TV peers both on and off-screen, Bickmore confirmed she had no intention of leaving the small screen during her Tuesday night announcement: “Honey, I’m not retiring. I’m moving on to something else that I don’t know yet what that is’.

An industry insider told Daily Mail Australia that Bickmore’s potential move to Nine’s Today made “logical” given her undeniable popularity.

“It’s the next most obvious step for her,” the rival network source said.

“As much as you’d like to say she’s not as nice as her on-screen persona, she’s not.

“Everyone likes her. Viewers like her. She would bring a lot of positive energy to Today and timing wise it all makes sense.’

The sparkly presenter was previously linked to the Today hosting job in 2019 – following the ouster of Georgie Gardiner and Deb Knight – but Nine denied any formal approach had been taken at the time.

Langdon instead took on the role and was a hit with viewers – especially female viewers – in her subsequent two years as chairman.

However, an insider says the 3am rut is kicking in and some recent on-set tensions with Stefanovic – particularly regarding the number of sick days – have prompted Langdon to throw her hat in the ring for the ACA job.

Most recently, Stefanovic was a last minute no-show on the morning after the NRL Grand Final.

Should Langdon make way for Bickmore, it will be the ninth female host to take on the Today appearance alongside Stefanovic, who has reportedly recently signed a new deal with Nine that would keep him with Today until 2025.

By then, the 48-year-old would have clocked up 20 years in the job – albeit with a much-discussed ‘break’ in 2018 when he sat on the couch following a review slide and media scrutiny surrounding his personal life.

The Nine veteran received some negative criticism from viewers after his divorce from ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn and eventually remarrying “shoe designer” Jasmine Yarbrough.

He returned to Today in 2019, but, nearly three years later, the show still has some big ground to make up against rival Sunrise, which this year recorded its 19th consecutive win as the best breakfast show in Australia.

Meanwhile, Langdon isn’t the only name linked to the coveted ACA role in recent days with popular 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Abo also a contender, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Abo was a regular substitute for Langdon on Today, and recently stepped in when Langdon was taking a break from marathon coverage of the Queens funeral.

There has also been a lot of speculation recently on rival network Seven about the future of Sunrise host David Koch, who recently marked his 20th year as breakfast host.

The 67-year-old small-screen veteran appeared to burst into tears as he responded to a series of on-air tributes, leading some to speculate whether Koch intended to relinquish his long-term position.

Rumors at Seven, however, suggest that this isn’t the case and that Koch is currently renegotiating a deal that will see him through at least the end of 2023.

Both Seven and Nine have been approached for comment.