Petra Bagust and Corin Dann will be the new hosts of Breakfast from next year (Source: TVNZ)

The New Zealand broadcaster TVNZ announced yesterday that Corin Dann and Petra Bagust would be the new presenters for its Breakfast programme, starting from next month.

TVNZ said that Dann and Bagust would take up their new positions when Breakfast returned on 17 January. Dann has hosted the broadcaster's early morning business programme NZI Business since 2007, while Bagust was poached from the commercial network TV3.

"Their skills and backgrounds are vastly different but very complementary - the ingredients for making great television are definitely there," said Anthony Flannery, TVNZ's head of news and current affairs.

"Petra is one of the most versatile and experienced television broadcasters in the country and she's sensational at live, unscripted television."

TVNZ added that Dann was "an experienced and respected journalist". Before joining the broadcaster, he had reported on sport, politics and economics in radio.

Bagust is known to Australian viewers for her appearances alongside the actor Robbie Magisiva on Tourism New Zealand's advertising campaign since 2006.

The search for new co-presenters was set in train by the high-profile departure of Paul Henry after a racism row in October. The remaining regular co-host, Pippa Wetzell, commenced maternity leave following the end of Friday's edition.