Former Channel Seven star Denham Hitchcock breaks his silence as he confirms shock move to Network Ten
Channel Seven 's Denham Hitchcock has officially jumped ship to Network Ten, becoming the third high-profile journalist to exit the network in a major shake-up of Australia's media landscape.
The veteran reporter confirmed the news on Monday on Instagram, revealing he would be joining Ten's soon-to-be-launched investigative unit – and that the move had a personal twist.
'Well here we go. I've switched channels. But also in a way – I've come full circle,' Hitchcock began.
'I grew up watching my father on Channel Ten News every night. I had a bunk bed with Eyewitness News stickers all over it – and can still sing the theme song.'
He added: 'So I'm delighted to start work here today – joining the network to help with its plans for the future.'
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He also shared a throwback photo of his father, veteran Ten journalist Kevin Hitchcock, sporting a classic 1980s moustache and captioned it with some amusing words: 'Not sure I could pull one of those off – but there's still time.'
The move comes just days after The Australian reported that Hitchcock, along with 7News Sydney's Bill Hogan and award-winning former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace, had all resigned from Seven to join Ten.
The trio are believed to have signed on to front a new current affairs program backed by Ten's head of news, Martin White.
Brace and Hitchcock left Seven's Sydney newsroom within hours of quitting and began work at Ten on Monday. Hogan is expected to start in three weeks.
The departures fuel speculation that Ten is preparing to launch a prime-time news magazine show to take on Nine's 60 Minutes, Seven's Spotlight, and ABC's Four Corners.
Industry sources say the new program will focus on long-form investigative stories and is currently assembling what's been described as a 'crack team' of reporters and producers.
A Ten spokesperson confirmed the shake-up to Daily Mail Australia, saying: 'Following the continued growth and success of our news brand, 10 News, we are investing in an investigative unit that will work on long-form stories.'
For Hitchcock, the move comes just three months after returning to Seven following a break from TV journalism to live on a catamaran with his wife Mari and their young children.
He had originally helped launch Spotlight in 2019 and led the network's coverage of major crime and current affairs stories, including last year's Who Killed Marea? documentary on Sky News.
Despite his short return to Seven, Hitchcock appears ready to dive back into serious reporting at Ten – and has called on viewers to help feed him stories.
'To everyone who keeps sending me stories to look into – keep them coming. I read every message,' he wrote.
Ten's new current affairs program is expected to launch later this year.
Hitchcock departs only three months after having returned to Seven after a couple of years off living on a catamaran with his young family.
'I'm back. It's time to wash some of the salt out - and get back to what I do best,' he wrote on social media.
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