Myrta Merlino, ex host of La7, took over the reins of Pomeriggio Cinque a few weeks ago (specifically on September 4). She inherited the heavy legacy of Barbara d’Urso, and only time will tell if the change in leadership of the afternoon program will prove successful or not. But a recent rumor has outlined a shocking scenario.
Is Myrta Merlino being replaced on Pomeriggio Cinque? That’s what has been suggested. It seems that Mediaset is considering replacing her, despite her short time at the helm of the show. This is according to Il Foglio, which mentioned Simona Branchetti, the host of Morning News, as a possible replacement for Merlino. “There are moments of panic when Myrta touches her Coca Cola and realizes that it’s not ‘cold enough,'” the article stated.
Is Mediaset really planning to replace Myrta Merlino? Is the network already considering her stint a failure? Apparently not. Giuseppe Candela, a journalist for Dagospia and Fatto Quotidiano, responded to the rumor on X: “‘Fantasy,’ that’s how sources from Cologno Monzese comment on Il Foglio’s article announcing Simona Branchetti’s arrival on Pomeriggio Cinque in place of Myrta Merlino. The journalist, after her good performance on Morning News, will return to anchoring TG5.” It seems that Merlino can relax, as there doesn’t seem to be any impending replacement for her.
Pomeriggio Cinque had a good start, but its ratings have been less than enthusiastic. In the final segment, the show falls below a 13/14% share. A recent rumor mentioned Gerry Scotti’s uneasiness due to the unsatisfactory ratings of his show Caduta Libera, and these rumors also hinted at the negative influence of Merlino’s show on the ratings. However, it should be noted that Caduta Libera has been struggling for several months, often losing to Reazione a Catena, hosted by Marco Liorni on Rai 1.
It’s worth noting that Myrta Merlino’s debut on Pomeriggio Cinque was quite successful. In fact, it was even better than Barbara d’Urso’s last three debuts. However, it should be emphasized that the curiosity surrounding this change in the leadership of the afternoon talk show likely had an impact on Merlino’s debut.