She’s the new co-host of Channel Nine’s Today show, taking over the reigns from veteran journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
But Georgie Gardner revealed on Sunday that she never dreamed she would reach the giddy heights of breakfast TV stardom.
In an interview with Stellar, Georgie described herself as a ‘plain, chubby teenager’ and said she takes comfort in knowing she ‘wasn’t hired for her looks’.
‘I was a plain, chubby teenager’: Today show host Georgie Gardner admits she ‘wasn’t hired for her looks’… before admitting it’s taken her ‘a bit of adjusting’ to get used to people critiquing her looks
‘I was someone who was always very self-conscious of my looks,’ she said.
The 47-year-old mother-of-two explained that it took her ‘a bit of adjusting’ to get used to the criticisms thrown at women on TV over their appearance.
‘You learn very quickly television is an aesthetic medium,’ she said, before adding that she doesn’t let other people’s opinions ‘overwhelm’ her.
Standing tall: Georgie described herself as a ‘plain, chubby teenager’ adding she takes comfort in knowing she ‘wasn’t hired for her looks’
Back in the ’90s: The 47-year-old mother-of-two added that it took her ‘a bit of adjusting’ to get used to the criticisms thrown at women on television over their appearance
New host: In the revealing interview Georgie also touched upon the challenges she now faces in the hosting chair next to Karl Stefanovic following Lisa Wilkinson’s departure
‘In a way, I think I took some comfort in knowing I wasn’t hired for my looks, to be honest. I didn’t feel that pressure,’ Georgie said.
In the revealing interview, Georgie also touched upon the challenges she now faces in the hosting chair alongside Karl Stefanovic.
Since Lisa Wilkinson moved to Network Ten over an alleged gender pay gap dispute, the Today show has been consistently beaten in the ratings by Sunrise.
Sinking ship? Since Lisa moved to rival Network Ten over an apparent gender pay dispute, Today show has been consistently beaten by rival Sunrise in viewership
But the figures don’t seem to worry Georgie too much, as she told Stellar she is still ‘trying to find (her) groove’.
Georgie insisted that reports suggesting she had initially turned down the role were false, but did admit that she spent a very long time thinking about it.
‘I wanted to be absolutely sure I was ready, and that I was right for the network, and right for the show,’ she explained.
Read all about it! Stellar magazine is available now in News Corp Sunday publications