He tearfully announced his resignation from Studio 10 live on air this morning.
But it seems Joe Hildebrand had hinted at his departure a day earlier, when he wrote a scathing op-ed about the state of the Australian television industry.
In an article for Adelaide Now, the 44-year-old journalist blasted local TV networks for failing to provide creative and groundbreaking content.
‘If something works, you do it over and over and over again’: Joe Hildebrand, 44, blasted the Australian television industry in a disillusioned rant about networks churning out unoriginal content on Wednesday – a day before quitting Studio 10 live on air
The local industry was described in the article’s URL and page title as a ‘joke’, but this descriptor was tellingly omitted from the copy.
‘If something works, you do it over and over and over again. And then if it stops working you keep doing it until it starts working again,’ he said, describing what he believes is the ‘philosophy of every TV network in Australia.’
Joe provided several examples to bolster his argument, including Karl Stefanovic’s return to Nine’s Today show this year, just 12 months after he was axed.
Fed up? In an essay published by Adelaide Now, Joe blasted local television networks for failing to provide creative and groundbreaking content
‘When Channel 9 dared to try something new for its breakfast line-up it was a disaster but they fixed it by making it the same again,’ he complained.
Similarly, he scorned Channel 7 for mimicking Channel 10’s MasterChef by creating rival program My Kitchen Rules, before going even further and ‘buying the MasterChef judges themselves’ to launch Plate Of Origin.
He also suggested that Seven was being uncreative by purchasing The Voice from Nine, rather than coming up with something new.
‘They fixed it by making it the same again’: Joe provided several examples to bolster his argument, including Karl Stefanovic’s (pictured) return to Nine’s Today show this year, just 12 months after he was axed
Same recipe: Similarly, he scorned Channel 7 for mimicking Channel 10’s MasterChef by creating rival program My Kitchen Rules. Pictured; My Kitchen Rules’ Pete Evans and Manu Feildel
The article was published a day before Joe broke down in tears on Studio 10 as he revealed he’d come to the difficult decision to quit after seven years of service, following a ‘huge amount of thought’.
A devastated Joe began: ‘I do have some news. I want to say it here first before you saw it or heard it anywhere else.
‘I am leaving Studio 10. I have given it a huge amount of thought. It’s been really hard, but also really lovely to be able to look back on all the things we have done.
‘We all know the show is getting a bit of a shake-up. Channel 10 and my lovely bosses asked me if I’d stay on in a new role. We talked about it openly and warmly about what that might look like.’
Speaking of his bosses’ reaction to take matters into his own hands and leave Studio 10, Joe added: ‘They’re really lovely about it, so don’t lash out at them!
‘I just thought, it’s probably just better to draw a line under this amazing little story that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of.
‘My time here has been wonderful’: After seven years of service, Joe announced he is quitting the Studio 10 live on Thursday’s show
‘[I want to] give the show a chance to breathe and have a fresh start without me hanging around.
‘With all painful things you want to rip the band-aid off quickly and not make it any harder than it otherwise would be.
‘It’s just been an amazing… I promise I wouldn’t use the word ‘journey’… but [it’s been] such an amazing time!’
The presenter’s position on the morning talk show had been in discussion ever since Channel 10 announced their shocking budget cuts last month.
Joe’s Studio 10 co-hosts Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Natarsha Belling have already fallen victim to the cuts.
On his own terms: Speaking of his bosses’ reaction to take matters into his own hands and leave Studio 10, Joe added: ‘They’re really lovely about it, so don’t lash out at them