Channel 9 has announced James Bracey and Roz Kelly will step into positions as sports anchors for the network’s major news bulletins.
The move comes after popular presenter Cameron Williams made the sudden decision to walk away from Nine after 12 years with the free-to-air broadcaster.
Nine has also had to deal with Erin Molan’s decision last year to leave and take up a position at Sky News.
Nine announced on Saturday morning Bracey will step into Williams’ shoes as the week-night 6pm sports presenter on a permanent basis after he had been filling the role since Williams’ departure in March.
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Kelly will be presenting the sport during the Friday and Saturday bulletins.
Williams, 59, had been missing from 9News in the weeks before his resignation in March.
He said at the time he was leaving to focus on his health.
Follow-up reports claimed a “heated and angry” exchange with a Nine News executive may have triggered Williams’ decision.
In an email sent before his big news dropped, Williams told Channel 9 colleagues “with a heavy heart” he had decided to resign from the network.
“Leaving the best team in News is difficult and being part of that team an honour,” he said.
“But I have struggled for years with increasingly poor health and I want to address that now for the sake of a more important team, my family.”
Now Nine is moving on.
Bracey will be leaving his position as host of Sport Sunday, but will continue his work with the network’s NRL and Australian Open operations.
Kelly, meanwhile, is taking over as Sport Sunday presenter while continuing in her rugby and tennis roles.
Bracey said in the announcement from Nine: “Sport and Nine go hand-in-hand, so I’m over the moon to join the 9News team.
“I grew up admiring Ken Sutcliffe and his on-air rapport with Brian Henderson and Peter Overton. It’s surreal to now find myself in that same chair alongside Pete.”
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