There were emotional scenes at Sydney Airport as Danika Mason said goodbye to her soccer star boyfriend Liam Knight before heading to the United States.
Channel Nine sports presenter Mason, 33, recently went public with Bulldogs player Knight, 29, after the pair were seen enjoying a romantic date at The Butler restaurant in exclusive Potts Points from Sydney earlier this month.
Mason called off her wedding to personal trainer Todd Liubinskas, 40, last year, and the couple were set to tie the knot on October 27 and seem very much in love with Knight.
‘Her behavior was that of a relaxed woman enjoying a pre-season fling with a younger specimen; “His was a deer in the headlights,” said a witness at the restaurant.
And the couple said goodbye at Sydney Airport on Wednesday as Mason jetted off to the United States ahead of the start of the NRL season.
Danika Mason said goodbye to her boyfriend Liam Knight on Wednesday
Canterbury Bulldogs star Knight dropped off his girlfriend at the airport
Mason left Australia for the United States ahead of the new NRL season
Knight obediently helped his new girlfriend with her luggage at the airport.
Mason is seen checking in before her long flight to the United States
Knight did not travel with his new girlfriend as the Bulldogs are not one of the teams that will be presented to the American audience during the Las Vegas event.
Mason called off her wedding just weeks before the ceremony was to take place at Greystone Estate in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley.
The exact reason for the couple’s separation is unclear and has become a topic of great speculation among football experts and the media.
It is unknown how long Mason, who presents the Sunday Footy Show, has been romantically involved with Knight.
Mason’s sighting comes after his best friend, Fox Sports host Jake Duke, became involved in a late-night phone call with a co-worker.
Duke was dumped by his girlfriend, Seven News reporter Grace Fitzgibbon, over the weekend after receiving an unexpected phone call from Kiwi rugby league reporter Tiffany Salmond in the early hours of Saturday morning .
Salmond, 26, told colleagues he didn’t know Duke had a girlfriend when he called him.
Mason seemed in good spirits as he prepared to head to the airport.
Bulldogs star Knight sported sunglasses, a t-shirt and shorts as he loaded the car.
The 29-year-old was behind the wheel as the couple headed to the airport.
That’s because Fitzgibbon rarely appeared on Duke’s personal Instagram, friends said.
In an apparent attempt at damage control, Salmond is understood to have deleted an Instagram post of herself in a bikini with a cryptic caption referencing infidelity.
It is understood Duke stayed at Mason’s home in South Maroubra while his ex-girlfriend left his Freshwater unit.
On Wednesday, Duke flew to Fiji to cover the Newcastle Knights’ pre-season match against the Melbourne Storm.