“She’s chucking it in”: Denise Drysdale responds to claims she has quit Studio 10
New claims have emerged that Denise Drysdale is walking away from the breakfast TV show, Studio 10.
During a radio segment on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, entertainment journalist Peter Ford revealed that the 69-year-old is “chucking it in”.
Denise’s departure follows a recent string of exits on Studio 10, with the recent resignation of Ita Buttrose and Jessica Rowe.
“She's quitting the Studio 10 show. She's chucking it in,” Peter told Kyle Sandilands and Jackie "O" Henderson.
Peter then went on to suggest the possible reasons for her departure, saying: “She's now got the house all built on the Gold Coast. She's got a new baby [a dog] on the way. She's adopted a dog.”
Following the segment, a spokesperson for Network Ten said that Denise would address Peter’s claims that morning.
On-air this morning, Denise revealed that she won’t be leaving the show, but she will be taking a break.
She said: “I have been touring for 54 years in this job and I am sick of the travel and sick of sleeping in other people's beds."
She continued, “I spoke to our executive producer and said, 'I need to go'. I had a meeting and they said, ‘We don't want you to go. Have a break. Then come back’. So I am lucky to still be working at my age and have an opportunity to have a little break.”
In 2016, Denise transitioned from being a fill-in presenter to a permanent host on the breakfast TV show.
Throughout her time on Studio 10, Denise faced rumours of tensions between her and former co-host Ita Buttrose, 76.
The speculation was heightened after Denise threw a brussels sprout at Ita in an on-set incident last November.
Fans were also quick to comment on the pair’s relationship during Ita’s farewell segment in April, when Denise stayed noticeably silent.
However, in a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Network Ten denied the claims there was a rift between the two, labelling the allegations “offensive”.
Ita’s departure came a month after Jessica Rowe told viewers on-air that she was resigning to spend more time with her family.
“After much soul searching and discussions with my family, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to leave Studio 10,” Jessica said.
The resignations have also impacted Studio 10’s ratings, with the show only averaging 63,000 viewers a day in April this year.
In January 2014, Studio 10 was averaging more than 90,000 viewers a day across Australia.
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