Channel Nine slams rumours Georgie Gardner was 'reluctant' to host Bondi terror attack coverage

Channel Nine has slammed rumours that weekend news anchor Georgie Gardner was 'reluctant' to host rolling coverage of the Bondi terror attack on Sunday.

Reports surfaced this week that the media veteran supposedly told producers that interrupting regular programming to cover the tragedy might appear 'alarmist', before she began hosting Nine's broadcast.

A spokesperson for the network told Daily Mail there was no basis to the claim.

Fifteen innocent people – including a 10-year-old girl – were killed during Australia's second-worst mass shooting on Sunday at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, while 40 others were injured.

The alleged gunmen were quickly identified as father Sajid Akram, 50, and his son, Naveed Akram, 24.

Sajid was shot dead by police, while Naveed is recovering from bullet wounds in hospital. He has been charged with 59 offences.

According to News Corp, insiders had said Nine producers were discussing whether to shut down Sunday's programming in favour of covering the unfolding story in Bondi, when Gardner said she was concerned that the move might appear 'alarmist'. 

'Nine is incredibly proud of its accurate, timely and factual coverage across our TV news, radio and publishing mastheads,' a Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail, who added the story was inaccurate.

'Georgie is one of the most experienced, well-known news presenters in Australia and delivered rolling coverage of a horrific, unprecedented terrorist attack with compassion and composure.  

'Georgie was supported by an incredible team of reporters, camera operators, editors, producers and crews both at the scene, in the studio and across our city,' they continued. 

Gardner was covering for Pete Overton, who is currently on holiday, when the story broke that the Jewish Hanukkah celebration in Bondi had come under fire at 6.40pm.

Nine was the last of the major media organisations to go to air with rolling coverage of the Bondi massacre at 7.36pm after it had reported the terror attack during a bulletin at 6.57pm.

Rival Seven went live with the breaking story at 7.24pm, while Sky started their coverage at 7pm, with the ABC introducing their live report at 7.30pm.

Gardner is a presenter at Nine News in Sydney and reads the 6pm bulletin on Friday and Saturday nights.

Gardner joined the network in 2002. 

In 2006, she replaced Leila McKinnon on National Nine News Morning Edition and would go on to work on Today for eight years.

She left her role at Today in 2014 to spend more time with her family.

In 2018, she replaced Lisa Wilkinson as co-host of Today alongside Karl Stefanovic.

She later co-hosted the show with Deborah Knight in 2019.