The show will take a two week hiatus before returning with McGuire as host alongside Rebecca Maddern and Sam Newman.

The show will also be jointly be produced by McGuire's production company and Nine.

The Footy Show has been struggling in the ratings since early May, failing to reach an average audience of 200,000 in Melbourne - AFL's heartland.

Seven's rival show The Front Bar has been performing strongly in recent weeks, and on Thursday night pipped The Footy Show by just over 20,000 viewers.

On Thursday, the rumour mill began churning with stories that Sam Newman would be booted from the program after his on-screen antics saw him refuse to answer questions from his frustrated panelists. 

Footy Show sources said Newman has been "frustrated" in recent weeks because he believes he is being censored by Nine bosses and fellow panelists in order to make the show more family friendly. 

But by Friday afternoon the axe instead fell on Hutchison. 

Sources close to Hutchison told Fairfax Media the sports broadcaster had expected to be a casualty of any potential shake-up for some time. 

It remains unclear exactly how McGuire will be parachuted onto The Footy Show given his contract with Fox Footy. 

Channel Nine will make a "major announcement" regarding The Footy Show outside Melbourne's MCG on Friday afternoon. 

McGuire and Newman could not be reached for comment on Friday.