Australia’s embattled morning program the Today Show has been hit by another unexpected disruption, after popular co-host Sarah Abo announced an early, unplanned departure for maternity leave triggered by a sudden high blood pressure diagnosis that has forced her into medical monitoring. The heavily pregnant first-time host, who already endured a years-long, challenging fertility journey including two prior miscarriages to reach her current pregnancy, shared the sudden shift in plans via her personal Instagram account early Wednesday.
In a candid message shared to her Instagram Stories, Abo opened up about the unexpected turn of events, acknowledging her recent absence from social media and on-air duties. “Sorry I’ve been a bit MIA – copped a bit of a curveball on Wednesday afternoon with high blood pressure and have been in and out of hospital since,” she wrote. Abo, who was originally scheduled to begin maternity leave in the coming weeks, confirmed the unexpected diagnosis meant she would not be able to return to the studio to say a formal goodbye to viewers before stepping away.
“Thankfully I am in the safe hands of magnificent health professionals taking incredibly good care of bub and me. They have ordered me rest as they monitor me though! Which means I won’t make it back to the Today Show to say goodbye to you wonderful people before so abruptly heading on maternity leave,” she added. The host closed her message with a gentle public health reminder for all followers, regardless of pregnancy status: “A reminder to make sure you look after yourself – pregnant or not! Xx.” Abo paired the update with photos of her in hospital, and thanked viewers for the outpouring of support she has already received, saying she regularly feels grateful for the kindness of her audience.
Shortly after Abo shared her personal update, her fill-in co-hosts Sylvia Jeffreys and Charles Croucher delivered the news to live Today Show viewers Wednesday morning. “We have a little news to share with you at home this morning, because, of course, many of our wonderful Today show viewers have been wondering where the beautiful Sarah is,” Jeffreys told the audience, confirming that while Abo’s baby has not yet arrived, the sudden high blood pressure diagnosis required an immediate exit.
Fellow on-air contributor Jayne Azzopardi shared warm words for her colleague, saying the entire team had hoped to give Abo a proper on-air send-off and baby celebration ahead of her leave. “I wish we could have done a proper maternity leave, baby shower send-off for Sarah. She hasn’t had the easiest pregnancy and I wish it had been different for her because she deserves that,” Azzopardi said. Dozens of Abo’s colleagues, former coworkers, and industry peers immediately flooded her social media post with messages of support and well-wishes.
Sports presenter Danika Mason, who announced her own pregnancy just two weeks prior, was among the first to comment, writing: “Rest up we can’t wait to meet the little man.” Azzopardi added her own public note: “we miss you already, but you have more important things to do right now. Hopefully tough pregnancy means dream baby. you deserve it! Little CJ is already a very lucky boy.” Weekend news reader Lizzie Pearl, 60 Minutes executive producer Kirsty Thomson (Abo’s former boss at the program), reporter Christine Ahern, reporter Mia Glover, and former Today co-host Deborah Knight all shared similar messages of encouragement, urging Abo to prioritize her health and her baby’s well-being.
Abo first shared her pregnancy news in an emotional on-air segment back in March, opening up about the difficult path that led to this point, including IVF treatment and two devastating prior miscarriages during her 13-year marriage to husband Cyrus Moran. “It hasn’t been the easiest journey to get here, which a lot of people I know have gone through and will go through. I know that a lot of our viewers will be going through this too, and it’s not as easy as a lot of people think that it will be. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride but here we are … we’re almost halfway now, and things are going well, it’s good,” she said at the time. Abo added that she felt a deep sense of cautious joy after her years of struggle: “Obviously I’m so thrilled to be sharing with you all, but I’m still terrified. I’m still finding it hard to believe that it’s happening and I will lean in and enjoy it, but a lot of people understand what it’s like to have this cautious optimism.”
Abo’s sudden early exit comes just weeks after the Today Show was thrown into chaos by the controversial departure of long-time lead host Karl Stefanovic from parent network the Nine Network. Stefanovic’s exit followed widespread backlash over an interview he conducted with British far-right figure Tommy Robinson on his independent podcast, which triggered crisis talks between the host and Nine management. After decades working with the network, Stefanovic confirmed his departure, which was originally set to take effect by the end of 2024, was moved to an immediate exit. A range of temporary hosts have stepped into Stefanovic’s seat in the weeks since his departure, including Tom Steinfort, Charles Croucher, and Joel Dry.
Now, Abo’s unplanned exit has added a new scheduling challenge for Nine management, who have not yet formally announced a permanent replacement for Abo during her maternity leave. Media rumors have already named former Today news reader Sylvia Jeffreys – who stepped in to co-host Wednesday’s broadcast – and former Sunrise host Samantha Armytage as top contenders to fill Abo’s role for the duration of her leave.