ABC News Breakfast: Outgoing co-host Lisa Millar’s replacement is revealed

Bridget Brennan will be the new co-host of News Breakfast after Lisa Millar announced she will be stepping down. 

The announcement was made on Thursday morning.

Brennan, who has been with the ABC since 2010, will take over as co-presenter alongside Michael Rowland.

Sharing the news with viewers on Thursday morning, Brennan said she was ‘honoured and excited’ to start the new role.

‘It’s been a dream come true to work with Michael and Lisa who I’ve been watching for years and to sit alongside you, learn from you both and become deep and wonderful friends has been a privilege,’ she said.

Brennan started working at ABC as a cadet journalist and has previously worked as the broadcaster’s Indigenous Affairs Editor and National Indigenous Affairs correspondent.

The announcement comes weeks after Millar, 55, revealed that she will finish up with the show on August 23.

‘What a blast the past five years has been, whether it was interviewing prime ministers and global thought leaders or getting karaoke encouragement from my childhood idol Gladys Knight,’ Millar said on-air in July.

‘In 35 years of journalism I’ve never done anything so exciting, unpredictable, and fun. It’s only worked because of the awesome team in front of the cameras and behind the scenes who kept me laughing.’ 

She will remain with the ABC, focusing on her other projects: As narrator of the Logie-nominated series Muster Dogs, as guest presenter of Back Roads and as co-host of the podcast The Newsreader.

‘I’m going to be having more adventures with Back Roads and Muster Dogs. Muster Dogs keeps getting bigger and bigger. So much to do, and exciting new projects. That means it’s goodbye,’ Millar said. 

Millar has been with the ABC since 1993. Her departure from ABC News Breakfast comes after she unleashed on ‘disgusting’ online trolls who’d criticised her appearance back in March, while also slamming media coverage of the abuse she’d copped.

Brennan, who has been with the ABC since 2010, will take over as co-presenter alongside Michael Rowland

The announcement comes weeks after Millar, 55, revealed that she will finish up with the show on August 23

She said she was sickened by the comments especially given they were made so close to International Women’s Day.

‘The fact that what I wore on Monday attracted obnoxious commentary on Twitter, foul disgusting personal abuse that I wouldn’t and couldn’t repeat here – it was upsetting,’ she said at the time.

‘I am angry, on this International Women’s Day. Angry on behalf of myself and also on behalf of other women, young women, who see those stories and see someone like me being violently abused day after day, for whatever reason bullies can find.

‘I worry it might make you think that no progress is being made and it’s not worth it being a woman in the public arena.’

Brennan started working at ABC as a cadet journalist and has previously worked as the broadcaster’s Indigenous Affairs Editor and National Indigenous Affairs correspondent