Her decision to quit Studio 10 live-on-air sent shock waves through the Australian media industry.
Now a recent interview Jessica Rowe gave has resurfaced in which she openly gushed over her love of working on the breakfast TV show.
Speaking with coffee franchise Jamaica Blue’s magazine Escape, the 47-year-old said she finally felt was in ‘the right place, for right now’.
What went wrong?: Jessica Rowe recently called her role on Studio 10 the ‘right place, right now’ in interview… DESPITE her shock decision to quit the show on-air
‘It’s a great team of people,’ Jessica told the publication referring to her Studio 10 colleagues.
‘It felt different from day one, softer, lighter, more open, there’s just no trouble.’
On Friday the mother-of-two shocked her co-hosts and viewers when she announced she was leaving the show to spend more time with her family.
‘I’ve got some news I want to share with all of you because you’ve been so incredible to me over so many years. I’ve decided to leave Studio 10,’ she said.
Her announcement drew stunned gasps from members of the audience.
Jessica continued: ‘Stepping back from Studio 10 will give me more time for content creation and public speaking and to be more present with my beautiful family. I am going to miss my wonderful friends and colleagues at Studio 10 and wish them nothing but the very best for the future’.
Shock announcement: On Friday morning, Jessica Rowe revealed she was quitting Studio 10 in order to spend more time with her family
Stunned: Rowe’s announcement drew shocked gasps from the audience and sobs from her co-host Joe Hildebrand (second from left)
During the interview with Escape Jessica went on to touch upon her short lived hosting gig time at the Today show in 2006.
While at Nine then-CEO Eddie McGuire reportedly claimed he wanted to ‘bone’ Jessica from the network, which is understood to mean ‘sack’ her.
She left the following year.
Short lived: During the interview Jessica went on to touch upon her hosting gig at the Today show in 2006
Harsh: While at Nine then-CEO Eddie McGuire (seen) reportedly claimed he wanted to ‘bone’ Jessica from the network, which is understood to mean ‘sack’ her
Despite the bitter experience, Jessica told Escape that she chose to view her time at Today as a learning experience.
‘You don’t learn much when things are going well, you only really start to learn when things are difficult,’ she said.
Despite the bitter experience, Jessica (seen here with Studio 10 co-host Denise Drysdale) told Escape that she chose to view her time at Today as a learning experience.
Jessica is married to Channel Nine newsreader Peter Overton. The couple share daughters Allegra, 11, and Giselle, eight.
However, shortly after her announcement, Studio 10’s former executive producer Rob McKnight claimed on Twitter that the network had been ‘planning to sack her for over a year’.
He tweeted: ‘Sad to hear (Jess) is leaving Studio10au. (Ten) have been planning to sack her for over a year. She blamed me, even though I was trying to save her job.’
‘I want to be there in the mornings for them’: Jessica said she and husband Peter Overton had spoken at length about her decision. Pictured with their daughter Allegra and Giselle in 2016
Network Ten denied McKnight’s claims, telling Daily Mail Australia in a statement: ‘Mr McKnight’s claim is completely wrong, obviously spiteful and deliberately misleading.
‘As Jess said, she has decided to leave Studio 10 to devote more time to her family and her other interests. Anyone who suggests otherwise is being petty and ignorant. Jess is welcome back to TEN anytime.’
David Wilson – the director of Watercooler Talent, which handles Jessica’s media career – echoed similar sentiments on Twitter.
He wrote: ‘To be absolutely clear – Ten offered Jess a generous new contract for her to stay. Leaving Studio 10 was Jess’ choice for the reasons she so beautifully articulated on air this morning. It takes great courage to make these big decisions.’
On Friday’s episode of Studio 10, Jessica made clear that the network has been ‘nothing but supportive’ of her decision.
Discussing her decision to leave the program, Rowe claimed she wanted to spend more time with her daughters.
She said: ‘I want to be there in the mornings for them, I want to take them to school. It’s something that I need to do, it is as simple as that.
‘Completely wrong’: Channel Ten told Daily Mail Australia that former Studio 10 executive producer Rob McKnight’s claim that the network ‘had been planning to sack her for over a year’ was not accurate. Jessica’s talent agent also disputed McKnight’s claim on Twitter (pictured)
‘This is the best job I’ve ever had on television’: Discussing her decision to leave the program, Jessica claimed she wanted to spend more time with her daughters
‘Peter and I have spoken a lot about this over the past six months. It’s weighed on me because this is a job I love. This is the best job I’ve ever had on television.’
Jessica said Studio 10 had allowed her to ‘find her voice and her courage again’.
She then paid tribute to her fellow panellists, including a tearful Joe Hildebrand, who has sat next to Jessica since the show debuted nearly five years ago.
Emotional farewell: Joe Hildebrand sobbed throughout Jessica’s resignation announcement
‘We all begged her to stay’: Hildebrand took to Twitter to pay tribute to Jessica
‘Joe, I love you. It’s been such a journey hasn’t it?’ she said, as they hugged.
‘It’s been wonderful,’ he replied.
Later, Hildebrand took to Twitter stating: ‘Sad beyond words that my beloved Jess is leaving Studio 10.
‘We all begged her to stay but her family must come first. FYI She will still be with us all month and coming back whenever she wants. We love you Jess!’
‘One of the best friends that I’ve ever had’: Denise Drysdale fought back tears as she farewelled Rowe
Meanwhile, Jessica also acknowledged fellow panellists Natarsha Belling and Denise Drysdale after she made her announcement.
Natarsha applauded Jessica for drawing attention to issues surrounding mental health during her years on the program.
Denise also said: ‘I feel so blessed. I hate when they say blessed, but I’ve made one of the best friends that I’ve ever had and we’ve got that for the rest of our lives wherever you are.
‘I’m very grateful for that, and it’s not often you get that when you work on television. It’s very rare.’
More family time: Jessica pictured with her daughters Allegra and Giselle in December 2017
Jessica made headlines last November, after a The Daily Telegraph reported on alleged tensions behind the scenes at Studio 10.
At the time, an insider claimed Denise reportedly threw a Brussels sprout at co-host Ita Buttrose while they were filming a food segment.
While Denise thought it was all in good fun, the incident reportedly ‘inflamed already simmering tensions on set’.
Denise allegedly had a tense conversation about her behaviour with Rob, who was still the show’s executive producer at the time.
Denise and Jessica subsequently approached network bosses to complain, and Rob was axed from Channel Ten shortly after.
Were there tensions? Jessica hit headlines last November, after a report in The Daily Telegraph that alleged tensions behind the scenes at Studio 10
Meanwhile, on Friday, after news of Jeesica’s resignation broke, her husband Peter Overton took to Twitter to express admiration for his wife.
‘Jess and I have had some long talks about this and the bottom line is our little girls need their Mum. For breakfast, for the school run, for the family,’ he wrote.
He added: ‘This morning, when I asked 11-year-old Allegra how she felt that Mum that was going to be home in the mornings… she said “I am a billion times happy’… and that says it all’.
Admiration: Jessica’s husband Peter Overton took to Twitter shortly after the news broke to share his admiration for his wife
Career: Rowe has been one of the nation’s most popular TV hosts for more than 20 years