Footage sourced from: TV3
One of TV3's biggest and most popular stars, newsreader Hilary Barry, has quit the network.
Her departure is the second high-profile casualty at TV3 in the past year after John Campbell left in May when his show Campbell Live was dumped.
Hilary Barry has just four weeks left before she leaves TV3. Who will step in to fill her mighty shoes over her dual roles? Here are five suggestions that might just work.
Judy Bailey
The former Mother of the Nation has been sporadically filling in for Hilary on The Paul Henry Show, and she's shown she's still got all of the charisma and gravitas of old. She also seems a bit bored. Could she be in line for a return to 6pmnews? Apart from Mediaworks' bean counters, who wouldn't want this?
Could Judy Bailey be ready to return to prime time news?
Rumours are rife that Hilary Barry is heading to TVNZ, possibly to front Breakfast. It's time for TV3 to hit back as New Zealand's bloodthirsty news war continues, and they should hit them where it hurts. Toni Street could be swayed. Her former co-worker Heather du Plessis-Allan is already at TV3. Mark Weldon, give her a call.
Toni Street recently moved into radio, hosting Saturday mornings on The Hits alongside Sam Wallace.
The sports-mad presenter has kept busy lately fronting our very own NZ Herald Focus online news series, proving she can front hard news as well as bring the banter. Warm, smart, funny and friendly, she's the type of girl-next-door Paul Henry loves.
Laura McGoldrick hosts the daily web series NZ Herald Focus.
Jeanette Thomas
Since the demise of TVNZ's Good Morning, Thomas has been seen laughing it up with Leigh Hart on season two of Late Night Big Breakfast, proving she can foot it with comedy kings. Like Barry, she's got a funny bone, and might work well up against Henry in the morning.
Jeanette Thomas is the former host of TVNZ's Good Morning.
Chrystal Chenery
Chrystal Chenery is long overdue to return to TV.
Okay, it's never going to happen. But let's use this opportunity to make a desperate plea to Mediaworks to Get Chrystal Chenery Back Onto Our Screens. The camera loves her. She's the smartest girl in the room, and she's not afraid of a fight. She needs her own show, pronto. And she's up for it - remember her personal plea to front Survivor NZ?
