Al Jazeera anchor Kamahl Santamaria tipped to replace John Campbell on Breakfast

Kamahl Santamaria, a former Al Jazeera news presenter, is rumored to be returning to New Zealand to join TVNZ’s Breakfast team, amid reports that co-host John Campbell is departing the morning show.

Various sources have informed us various things. Insiders at both TVNZ and Al Jazeera say the Auckland-born journalist is returning to New Zealand to resume his broadcasting career, and that he will join the Breakfast team to replace current co-host John Campbell.

TVNZ insists, however, that it has no lineup changes to announce.

“Breakfast returned earlier this year with John, Jenny-May, Matty and Indira – we have no line-up changes to announce,” a spokesperson said.

Sources told Stuff that Campbell, who previously hosted Seven Sharp and Campbell Live, is being lined up for a role as a roving reporter, similar to that filled by high profile journalist Patrick Gower at TVNZ rival Newshub, whose special investigations Gower on Weed and Gower on Hate have been a huge ratings success.

Kamahl’s sister Alexia Santamaria said she cannot comment as to whether her brother is returning to New Zealand. Campbell could not be contacted and did not respond to voice mail and text messages requesting comment.

Kamahl Santamaria has more than two decades of journalism experience working across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East. He joined Al Jazeera in 2005 and presented news bulletins and hosted several shows dedicated to current affairs and economics.

In 2018, he was nominated for an International News Emmy Award. Santamaria has also covered the past four US presidential elections, and anchored Al Jazeera’s coverage of Joe Biden’s 2021 US Presidential Inauguration live from Washington DC.

He started his career at Three in 1998, before moving in 2002 to join Sky News Australia where he spent three years.