Move over, Dickie! Meet Channel Nine's rising new star anchor who could take Richard Wilkins' job - and the ladies are already swooning
Aspiring TV presenter Chaad Hewitt caused quite a stir recently, when he made an appearance on the Today show.
After wowing Karl Stefanovic with his anchor chops in a university assignment, Chaad found himself front and centre on the Today set recently.
He shared a clip of his on-air experience that saw him stepping into the rather large shoes of Nine entertainment veteran Richard Wilkins.
'Today we found an aspiring entertainment journo and if you squint he looks like a young Richard Wilkins,' Karl said on air.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
A side-by-side photo was then shown on screen, highlighting the similarities between the pair.
'Somebody needs to do the math, because my mum worked at MTV in the '90s so what's going on there?' Chaad joked, referencing Richard's stint at the music television station.
'Who's your daddy?' Karl excitedly asked, which elicited quite the laugh from the rising star.
Chaad was full of gratitude for his big television break.
'WHAT AN HONOUR to share my first full day of learning as an anchor with the team @thetodayshow,' he wrote on Instagram.
'I couldn't have asked for a more special experience with the amazing team and mentors. While sharing the stage in place of Dicky, this little moment caught us all off.'
Despite Chaad's anchor gig only being temporary, it seems he has struck a chord with breakfast TV viewers.
Karl commented on a clip of Chaad on air with: 'Loved having you, son,' to which one viewer replied: 'He needs to be a regular.'
'Today we found an aspiring entertainment journo and if you squint he looks like a young Richard Wilkins,' Karl said on air
Another chimed in with: 'Never has there been a man more suited to the screen.'
'From now on, I love watching the news,' a third swooned.
It looks as though Dickie might have to start looking over his shoulder, with Chaad already a triple threat.
Aside from being an aspiring entertainment reporter, Chaad is also a model, after being discovered by Gold Coast agency Reel Management in 2020, and has since worked with the likes of BOSS and Polo Ralph Lauren.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Chaad is also a budding actor, having hit the stage for the Queensland Drama Academy in Flood.
He also nabbed a gig as actor Stacy Clausen's stand-in for the 2023 film True Spirit.
Chaad recently revealed that his Today show stint all came about thanks to a university assignment.
The second-year journalism student at Bond University posted an after-class exercise to social media that attracted half a million views.
After seeing the video, Karl reached out with an offer for the rising star to appear on the show.
'Karl said, 'I want to bring you on the Today show'. To be honest with you, I thought he was joking… I didn't think he was being serious.'
Turns out Karl was deadly serious with Chaad adding: 'Karl actually said, 'you can be the anchor!' In a matter of about two hours, they had everything sorted.'
He also revealed that his Today cameo did the trick with the network, with Nine keen to stay in touch.
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