Sarah Abo’s Today Exit: Jayne Azzopardi Shares a Heartfelt Tribute — And One Off-Air Detail Reveals What Viewers Never Saw
Sarah Abo’s departure from Today has marked the end of a chapter that meant a great deal to both viewers and the people who worked alongside her.
Now, one of those colleagues has offered a particularly personal glimpse into the friendship that existed away from the cameras.
Today newsreader Jayne Azzopardi has described Sarah as a “class act” and reflected on the years they spent sharing the studio — as colleagues, birthday twins and, increasingly, close friends.
But it was Sarah’s own response that revealed a tiny part of their working relationship that television audiences rarely got to see.
And somehow, that small detail makes her exit feel even more emotional.
Sarah’s departure brings a difficult goodbye
On September 16, Nine confirmed that Sarah would leave the network at the end of 2026 and would not return to the Today hosting chair after her maternity leave.
Sarah joined Nine in 2019 as a 60 Minutes reporter before becoming a permanent Today co-host in January 2023.
She had remained part of the program until going on maternity leave earlier this year.
In July, she and husband Cyrus Moran welcomed their first child, a son named Sonny, after a long and difficult journey to parenthood.
Reflecting on the new chapter, Sarah described becoming a mother as her “greatest achievement” and thanked viewers and colleagues for supporting her throughout her time at Nine.
She also left one intriguing hint about the future.
“There is more to come.”
Sarah did not explain what that meant, but the comment immediately left the door open to whatever comes next.
Jayne Azzopardi wanted to make sure Sarah heard one thing
Among the messages Sarah received after announcing her departure, one came from Jayne Azzopardi.
Jayne shared a photograph of the pair on Instagram and wrote a heartfelt tribute to her longtime colleague.
She pointed out that the two women share the same birthday, had shared a television studio for years and would continue to share a friendship long after their working arrangements changed.
Then came the words that captured how highly Jayne appears to regard her friend:
“You are a class act, @sarahabo.”
Jayne also admitted that she would miss the early starts they had shared together — the famously punishing Today schedule that begins long before most Australians are awake.
She ended her message by looking forward to seeing what Sarah does next.
For someone leaving a workplace that had become such a significant part of her life, it was a deeply personal farewell.
But Sarah’s reply revealed something viewers never saw
Sarah replied with “Love you Jayno” before offering a glimpse into what their friendship looked like once the cameras were no longer the focus.
She recalled sitting beside Jayne at the desk, leaning across for a quick chat or exchanging a knowing look during the long live broadcasts.
Then she mentioned something wonderfully ordinary.
The relief when Jayne would pull out her hair extensions at the end of the show.
It was clearly an inside joke between the two women, but it also revealed something viewers rarely get to see on breakfast television.
Behind the polished desk, perfectly timed segments and hours of live broadcasting, there were two friends quietly checking in with each other, sharing private jokes and finding little moments of relief in the intensity of the morning.
Sarah described every one of those moments as “a total joy”.
And she returned the compliment, telling Jayne she was not only one of the best at what she does, but “the absolute best colleague any one of us could ever hope for”.
They had already celebrated something special together
The friendship between Sarah and Jayne had been visible to Today viewers before this goodbye.
The pair are birthday twins and previously celebrated their birthdays together on the program.
In November 2025, the two were surprised on air by singer Leo Sayer, who performed for them and brought birthday cakes.
Karl Stefanovic described the women not simply as work colleagues, but as “dear, dear friends”.
That history makes Jayne’s latest message feel less like a standard colleague farewell and more like a friend saying goodbye to someone she expects to remain part of her life.
Sarah’s final chapter at Nine came at a very personal moment
Sarah’s departure has unfolded alongside a huge change in her personal life.
She and Cyrus welcomed Sonny in July, after Sarah had to begin maternity leave earlier than planned.
The baby arrived slightly early, and Sarah later shared that she and Cyrus spent two weeks in hospital with their newborn before bringing him home.
In August, she briefly returned to Today with Sonny, introducing him to viewers and her former colleagues.
At the time, the atmosphere was very different.
Sarah was surrounded by familiar faces and celebrating a new beginning.
Only weeks later came the announcement that her professional chapter at Nine would not continue.
A new Today era was already waiting
Sarah’s exit is part of a much wider transformation at Today.
Nine has now confirmed Sylvia Jeffreys and Tom Steinfort as the new permanent hosts for the program.
The network described their appointment as the beginning of a “new dawn” for Today, with changes planned to the program’s format, pace and commercial integrations.
For Sarah, that means a program she helped shape for almost four years is moving into a new era without her.
And for colleagues such as Jayne, it means a familiar face will disappear from the studio each morning.
Why Sarah’s future remains one of the big questions
Nine has said Sarah is leaving to pursue “other opportunities”.
Sarah herself has offered only the tantalising promise that there is “more to come”.
That has naturally fuelled speculation about what she might do next.
Reports have linked her with a possible move to Seven, with some industry sources suggesting the network has been interested in her for some time.
However, there has been no confirmed announcement from Seven or Sarah about a new role.
For now, her next destination remains unknown.
And perhaps that makes Jayne’s message even more fitting.
She was not trying to define Sarah’s future.
She was simply reminding her friend that whatever comes next, she will not be starting from scratch.
The part Sarah may miss most is not the camera
Sarah has spent years interviewing politicians, travelling for major stories and fronting hours of live television.
But when she reflected on what she will miss, the answer was not simply the television program itself.
It was the people.
The colleagues who became friends.
The strange early mornings.
The quick conversations between segments.
The private jokes that never reached viewers at home.
And those tiny moments of familiarity that make an exhausting job feel like a shared experience.
Jayne’s tribute captured exactly that side of Sarah’s Today years.
Not the ratings.
Not the headlines.
Just two friends sharing a desk, a birthday and a thousand early mornings.
A goodbye that feels more like “see you soon”
Sarah may have said goodbye to Today.
But her own words suggest she does not see this as the end of her career.
And Jayne certainly did not write her message like a final farewell.
She spoke about missing Sarah, but also about the years of friendship still ahead.
For Sarah, there is now a new life at home with Sonny, an uncertain professional future and a promise that there is more still to come.
For Today, there is a new hosting team and another chapter beginning.
And for the viewers who watched Sarah and Jayne share those early mornings, perhaps the most touching part of this goodbye is knowing that the friendship behind the desk will continue long after the cameras stop rolling.