EXCLUSIVEWhat sparked Georgie Gardners alleged heated incident in the Channel Nine newsroom - as her staggering six-figure salary to appear on TV twice a week is revealed

EXCLUSIVE

Georgie Gardner has been spotted looking dishevelled and distressed following revelations Nine is investigating claims she lost her temper at a young female colleague during an on-set incident last month. 

The high-profile presenter was seen crying in her car on Monday morning after spending more than an hour locked in a very animated conversation on her phone.

The veteran newsreader was still looking puffy-eyed when she later ordered a coffee from the popular Cafe Mosman near her palatial home on Sydneys affluent lower north shore. 

The sighting comes just one day after it was revealed Nine was investigating Gardner after receiving a complaint about an alleged heated spray she had in the networks Sydney studios. 

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the star newsreader has been accused of clashing with a young female staffer as she came off air after presenting the Saturday night news bulletin on August 31. 

It is understood the alleged incident was sparked by an issue with the teleprompter. 

Georgie Gardner has been spotted looking distressed and disheveled following revelations she is being investigated at Nine over an alleged spray she gave a junior female staff in the networks Sydney studio

Gardner presents Nines news bulleting on the night of her alleged on-set tirade

Nine launched an internal inquiry into the alleged encounter after the producer - who Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to name - made an official complaint. 

Gardner disappeared from her regular weekend newsreading duties for two weeks following the alleged incident.

But she returned to the airwaves last Friday night, with colleagues reportedly confirming that she had actually been away on scheduled leave.

The internal investigation could not come at a worse time for the highly paid network newsreader nor Nine. 

The long-serving newsreaders contract is among those being carefully reviewed by the the companys financial controllers as the cash-strapped network desperately tries to rein in costs. 

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the Sydney presenter is currently paid $600,000 a year to read the news two nights a week. 

The eye-watering salary is a legacy from Gardners short-lived reign as the networks Today show co-host alongside fellow newsreader Deb Knight in 2019 after Nines failed experiment with a new all-female line-up. 

Senior network insiders said the deal was no longer justifiable and that she was among a number of key stars expected to take massive pay cuts in the coming months. 

The star was seen for the first time on Monday since news broke of the internal inquiry

Georgie Gardner and Deb Knight co-hosted Nines Today breakfast show for a year - alongside then newsreader Tom Steinfort - in 2019 before the experiment was considered a failure

Nine last month axed almost 200 jobs across its television, radio and newspaper empire in a bid to shave $30million off its operating budget.

More cuts are on the way with the companys chief financial officer warning the media giant was looking to shed a further $50million from its underlying costs this financial year.

Insiders have revealed the contract of every single on-air star at the network is currently under review as part of a brutal cost-cutting audit - and that no one was safe. 

The embattled broadcaster is also in the midst of an ongoing review into its newsroom culture following complaints of endemic bullying and harassment.  

Gardner remained behind close doors on Sunday as news of the internal investigation into her alleged behaviour was made public. 

It is not suggested that Gardner engaged in any improper conduct, only that a complaint has been made and an investigation is taking place.  

The star ventured out on Monday morning to take her dog for a walk through the tree-lined streets around her Mosman home. 

Gardner spent an hour locked in a very animated conversation on her mobile phone before getting coffee from the popular Cafe Mosman on Military Road on Monday morning

The star was seen sporting a post-op shoe on her left foot while out walking her dog

She then went for a short drive by herself before stopping outside the café on Military Road and making a phone call from her parked car. 

Witnesses said she spent more than an hour on her mobile and was seen rubbing her hands through her hair and drying her eyes throughout the intense conversation before getting out to have a morning coffee.

She looked clearly distressed in the car - even walking just walking by, you could tell she was having a very animated conversation, one witness told Daily Mail Australia. 

Nine has refused to discuss the complaint made against Gardner.

However, the networks director of news and current affairs, Fiona Dear, said in a statement: Georgie Gardner is a highly regarded longstanding member of our Nine News team. We off no further comment.

The accusation is not the only battle Gardner is facing at the moment. 

The newsreader was seen wearing a ProCare post-op shoe on her left foot while having her coffee on Monday, fuelling speculation her recent leave is related to medical dramas. 

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