Today show star's teary farewell
Brooke Boney has wrapped up her final Today Show before she embarks on a new adventure overseas.
The proud Gamilaroi Gomeroi woman, who has read the news on the Channel Nine morning show for five years, was surrounded by her colleagues as they reflected on her time with the program.
"I just spent a month at the Olympics. I've been to the Oscars, all around the world to do things that most people don't get to do," Brooke said.
"As a young person, I didn't see much of a future for myself beyond what my little imagination could conjure up and because of the labour of my mum and my grandparents, who are back in Musswellbrook, it wasn't as bleak as it could have been."
Her co-hosts then wished her all best, while sharing memories from the last five years and expressing their love for the presenter.
"We love you and everything you represent, how hard you work, I think the last two weeks in the Olympics demonstrated, how much range you have, how much immediate connection you have with anyone you walk along the street with," Karl Stefanovic said.
"Thank you, Brooke, for everything you've done for us, very few people know what it's actually like to wake up at an ungodly hour and be ready to present 3.5 hours of live television to an audience," Sarah Abo added.
Karl, Sarah and the team gifted Brooke with flowers, cake and some goodies that will help her with her next steps and she had some beautiful words to share with her work family.
"Thank you for the beautiful presents, mum is here as well and I feel really overwhelmed to be honest," she said.
"I'm so grateful for every opportunity that I've been given here, I've done things I never dreamed possible, for someone like me, I grew up in housing commission, so this is really beyond my wildest dreams."
"I just want to say my good fortune has been hard won by those who came before me, but it's not just luck, it's hard work on my part as well, it's a combination of all of those things and I'm just eternally grateful."
"The Today Show was the first breakfast show in the country to put an Aboriginal person on as a full time host and now it is a very normal thing to do in this time slot, and I'm proud of that. I'm really grateful for that and I hope it makes it easier for others to do the same."
"Thank you for accepting me, I know that I don't fit the mould and I'm grateful for each and every one of you for tuning in every day and for coming on this journey with me, it's a privilege to go over to Oxford, but it's even more of a privilege that I've got this much love around me, that it makes it difficult to leave."
In March, Brooke announced that she would leaving the show to pursue her studies at Oxford University in the UK, where she will be getting her master's degree.
Image credits: Nine