Sacked TV weather presenter Amber Sherlock claims Channel Nine bosses split her job between three much younger presenters after making her redundant allegedly because she was a 50-year-old woman.
Sherlock's lawyer John Laxon lodged a Fair Work claim in the Federal Court against her former employer Nine Entertainment Co on March 9, before she claimed on a podcast that she was retrenched due to her gender and age.
According to her statement of claim, obtained by the Daily Mail, Sherlock had coffee with Nine's head of news Fiona Dear at the network's North Sydney headquarters between August and September last year.
She claims Dear compared her to the likes of veteran Sydney news anchor Peter Overton, saying: 'You'll be here forever, we'll wheel you and Pete out of here.'
Two months later, on November 10, news director Michael Best and an HR employee told Sherlock her role was redundant, asked her to leave the building immediately and cut off her access to Nine's servers.
Sherlock claims she was initially told there were three redeployment options within the company. But she was informed via Zoom two days later there were no options available in the Sydney newsroom and that her employment would be terminated.
She claims she had 'faithfully and diligently served Nine' for 18 years, was publicly recognised for her work, and that it was no coincidence her retrenchment took place three weeks before her 50th birthday.
In her statement of claim, Sherlock notes her duties were handed to TV presenters Maggie Rayworth, 33, Kate Creedon, 39, and Sophie Walsh, 39, because they were 'at least ten years younger' than her.
The documents claimed Sherlock 'developed extensive broadcasting experience on Nine's television bulletins, including Today, Today Extra, Early News, Morning News, Afternoon News, Nine News, and the Late News' between 2007 and 2025'.
They also said she developed experience as a writer and producer of television bulletins and weather bulletins, had experience field reporting, and was a 'well-liked and popular member of the news division's team'.
Sherlock says she had 'developed extensive reputational goodwill and was a publicly recognised name as a member of the highest rated news team for multiple years'.
Nine made a number of Sydney-based reporters redundant between July and November, but Sherlock claims they didn't take her experience or public standing into account when deciding on her retrenchment.
She instead claims the network took her age and sex into account.
Sherlock is seeking rulings that Nine discriminated against her based on age and sex and that it contravened the terms of her award.
She also wants compensation for loss and damages.
Earlier this week, she told News Corp-owned Stellar magazine: 'I always joked that Channel Nine wouldn't have a 50-year-old weather presenter.'
'Who knew I was being prophetic in that?'
'I feel like women in their 50s have so much to give, but even though we've come so far [in this industry], there aren't that many women over 50 in full-time camera-facing roles on Australian TV.'
Sherlock said she wasn't earning a high salary, like some of her colleagues.
'So I don't think it was a financial reason,' she told the podcast.
'It's unfortunate and I think the people that have gone on and are stepping into the role I was doing are ten to fifteen years younger than me.'
A Nine spokesperson previously told media: 'Nine does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of age or any other factor.'
'We strongly reject any suggestion that this influences any decision to remove a role that is no longer required in our business.'
'The dedicated role of the 6pm weather presenter for 9News Sydney was made redundant in November 2025.'
'Since then, a number of different reporters and presenters have presented the 6pm weather in addition to filling other roles across the network.'
The matter will be heard in the Federal Court on April 15.
Sherlock found herself in the centre of a controversy in 2017 when footage was leaked from inside Nine's studios, arguing with colleagues about the colour of jacket they were wearing.
Footage showed Sherlock demanding her colleague change into a different colour jacket during an ad break.