Behind TVNZ's on-screen musical chairs

John Campbell and Wendy Petrie presenting the ONE News 6 o'clock news. Photo / TVNZ

TVNZ is playing musical chairs once again. The Easter break saw 55-year-old John Campbell stand in for Simon Dallow alongside Wendy Petrie on 1 News while Dallow was on holiday in Hong Kong with girlfriend Louise Colenbrander.

Seven Sharp lost the familiar faces of Hilary Barry, 49, and Jeremy Wells, 42, to an extended Easter break with 1 NEWS Weekend presenter Melissa Stokes, 39 and Breakfast's Matty McLean, 32.

McLean took to social media to say the pair would be doing their best impressions of the show's regulars, McLean stating he would be doing Barry.

All this only days after TVNZ announced Breakfast's Jack Tame, 32, would take over from Corin Dann, 44, on Q & A and Campbell would take Tame's seat on Breakfast next to Hayley Holt, 37.

Opinion columns flowed and social media took a big bite too, mainly gossiping about Campbell's regression from his once high ground of running the nation's serious news show at 7pm, Campbell Live, on then TV3.

Will Holt and Campbell mesh? Are both "too left" to be the right mix for the nation's first cup of tea in the morning?

Hayley Holt. Photo / TVNZ

Will McLean bond with Campbell and emanate the chemistry he had with his best mate, Tame?

A month before Campbell's Breakfast announcement, speculation was rife that he would replace Wells and take a seat beside his former MediaWorks' colleague Barry, returning to 7pm.

Barry, after all, graduated after her exodus from Three to TVNZ, from Breakfast to Seven Sharp.

TVNZ presenter Hilary Barry. Photo / TVNZ

If Seven Sharp continues to find it a battle against Three's The Project in the "light" news stakes it would seem Campbell may indeed have a future at 7pm.

We hear there are those within TVNZ bemoaning the lack of in-house promotion over importing talent from their rival Three.

It seems no one's seat is safe and rather than give viewers constant familiar faces at the state broadcaster, perfecting the recipe of talent will be critical for TVNZ over the next year.