It’s been a rather ignominious debut for Nine’s Today show for 2018 amid accusations a promotion for its hosting line-up, featuring the newly-installed Georgie Gardner, is a direct rip-off of an ad that aired for a UK breakfast show back in 2016.

B&T has contacted Nine for comment on the allegations, however, it declined our offer to do so. B&T understands the offending spot has since been pulled by Nine chiefs. Not that the BBC was having any of it, describing the Today ad as “copied, at moments word for word”.

The original promo shows presenters from BBC Breakfast chatting on-air while a family rushes to get ready for a busy day. However, the presenters then start addressing the family directly.

In the BBC ad, a man is shown leaving his keys on the table after the TV hosts tell him about rising petrol prices. While in the Today ad, the dad is listening to hosts talk about petrol prices is already on the bus. Gardner then tells him he’s reached his stop.

What appears to damn Channel Nine is when both ads tell a young boy that his toast is burning. Check out the original BBC spot below, and Nine’s version after it.