Logie-winning daytime show The Circle has been axed and the ailing Breakfast program has been cut by half-an-hour under programming changes announced by Network Ten.
The gap left by The Circle's exit, which occupied the 9am to 12pm timeslot, will be mainly filled with celebrity and entertainment shows from the US, but the network will still offer an hour of morning news.
From next week, Breakfast, presented by Paul Henry and Kathryn Robinson, will run from 6am to 8.30am. It will be followed by children's program Wurrawhy, Ten announced on Monday.
After Wurrawhy Ten will be premiering The Talk, created and hosted by US actress Sara Gilbert (Roseanne, The Big Bang Theory) which has a panel of high-profile women including regular co-host Sharon Osbourne, talking about the day's headlines.
After an hour of Ten Morning News the long-running US entertainment news program Entertainment Tonight will be shown back-to-back with its sister program The Insider.
Ten's chief executive James Warbuton says the decision to cut The Circle is "unfortunate" but that it wasn't "taken lightly".
"Tight fiscal control and cost discipline are a core part of our strategy," Warburton said in a statement.
"We appreciate the efforts and dedication of everyone involved with The Circle, including Executive Producer Pam Barnes," he said.
News of the The Circle's dumping is now trending on Twitter as the show's fans express their disappointment over the decision.
Em Rusciano, who has appeared as a co-host on The Circle, tweeted: "Im sorry for Pam and her excellent team behind The Circle. Im sorry for Gorgi & Yumes & Im sorry for the state of Australian television."
Former Cleo editor and columnist Mia Freedman tweeted: "Channel 10 axes The Circle but keeps Breakfast with Paul Henry? Wait. What?"
The Circle's last show will be on Friday, August 3.
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