Throng

6:30am Monday, October 12 on TV One

Pippa Wetzell returns to co-host TV ONE's Breakfast with Paul Henry from Monday 12 October, at 6.30am.

The 32-year-old presenter has been on maternity leave after having her second daughter in April.

"I've had a wonderful six months off with my beautiful girls, but I'm really looking forward to getting back on the Breakfast couch. It has been great watching the programme from home, but it will be fantastic to rejoin Paul and the team," says Wetzell.

There are a number of big events coming up on Breakfast in the run-in to Christmas, including Tamati Coffey touring parts of New Zealand in the McCafe Winnebago.

Breakfast editor Tony Davenport is rapt to have Pippa Wetzell back for it all: "Paul, Pippa, Tamati, Peter and Ali create such a great on-screen dynamic together, viewers love them - quite simply they're the dream team."

Morning television ratings back that up - on average 156,700 viewers watched Breakfast every morning in August, compared to 26,250 viewers watching Sunrise on average, every day*.

"Ali has done such a brilliant job filling in for Pippa. We were inundated with emails and texts on her last day, and it's great to be able to reassure viewers that she'll be back," says Davenport.

Ali Mau will return to her regular role alternating as Breakfast News presenter with Peter Williams.

*Source: AGB NMR (Measurement: All people 5 years and over - average daily audience nationwide).