Seven’s satirical news host Mark Humphries has some blunt advice for his critics

Mark Humphries – the host of Seven’s controversial satirical news bulletin – has shared a blunt message for his haters, branding the reaction to his segment as ‘bizarre’.

As host of the Seven Network’s satirical show The 6.57pm News, comedian Mark Humphries aims to bring some much-needed humour to the headlines.

So why has the segment been the object of so much scorn? As he sits down with the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About, he bemoans what he calls “hostility to new ideas”, reveals whether he still dreams of hosting the Logies, and gets serious about the need for men to tackle serious conversations.

Stellar: Your satirical segment The 6.57pm News airs in the final three minutes of the Seven Network’s 6pm news bulletins nationally on Fridays. There was an extremely heated reaction to the idea when the segment first launched in July. So much, in fact, perhaps the title for this podcast episode could be “In conversation with the man they say has ruined television news forever”.

Mark Humphries: I think that’s fair [laughs]. I think that’s absolutely true. I was so stunned because I did five years at 7.30, the ABC’s flagship current affairs program, which I think of all the shows to have a comedy segment, that’s even less likely to have one. I didn’t know people felt so strongly about the 6 o’clock news and how its integrity must be defended. And, you know, it’s the last three minutes at the end of the week before Better Homes And Gardens. I’ve said this before, but the great thing about The 6.57pm News is that if you want to avoid it, you know exactly what time to tune out. [The reaction] was bizarre.

Listen to the full interview with Mark Humphries on the latest episode of Something To Talk About:

‘If you want to avoid it, you know exactly what time to tune out.’ Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar

You can never let that distract you from what you need to do. You just have to focus on your work. I think there’s generally a hostility and scepticism around a lot of new ideas. I saw there’s going to be the Australian version of The Office. There were articles from a few different news outlets, and I was looking at the Facebook comments and it’s that overwhelming thing of, “This is going to be terrible”, “This won’t be as good as the UK version or the American thing.” I think that’s a really unhealthy, unhelpful attitude to take towards things. Once it comes out and it’s sh*t, go for it. But in the lead-up to it, I just think: where does that hostility to new ideas come from? It doesn’t foster creativity. It makes people nervous and anxious about trying new things.

Stellar: It’s been a couple of months now and it seems to be working. A recent segment has been viewed over two million times on TikTok, although that number is probably out of date now.

Mark Humphries: Well, I don’t want to say that it’s up to four, but …

Stellar: So if I were to update my notes and say, “I believe a recent segment is up to four million views”, you wouldn’t correct me.

Mark Humphries: I wouldn’t correct you. And that was the second segment. The first segment gets this backlash and then the second goes and gets four million views online. And the audience is all over the place. Some are on TV, some are online. I’ll take what I can get.

Your skit debuted around the same time as Seven launched an astrology segment within the news. I think some of the negative commentary came about due to people conflating the two – would you agree, and was that a little frustrating?

Yes. It was, because they’re very different things. I’m not a horoscopes guy, I know a lot of people love astrology and all that – it’s just not me. But again, the discussion around [the astrology segment] was so hyped up that then when you actually see it … it’s just a graphic. It’s just some words on a screen. There’s not someone wearing a wizard’s hat or anything like that. There’s no-one coming out with tea leaves. It’s quite tame compared to, you know, I remember on Good Morning Australia and some of those morning shows, it was a bit more woo-woo. I wouldn’t put it in, but also it doesn’t bother me. I’m going to make some enemies here, but there’s a lot of sport that I don’t care about. But I’m fine for it to exist. Not everything needs to be for you.

Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar

In an interview with Stellar six years ago, you told us you’d like to host the Logie Awards, despite the view the gig was a “poisoned chalice”. Would you still be up for the challenge?

Very much so. In addition to my Channel Seven work and other TV stuff, I host a lot of corporate awards nights. I love the pageantry of it. I love dressing up. I’m a huge fan of what Bert Newton used to do. And that to me is still a dream. I’m so glad that Sam [Pang] has demonstrated it can be done. I think the reality is, I’m still not at the level required to get that gig. But down the line I would absolutely love to be considered, because I love the Logies. So when Sam is bored with it, yep, please sign me up.

Change of subject here: there’s recently been a lot of talk about bad behaviour and toxic masculinity in the media industry. As a father of two sons, do you think now is a good time to be a man in Australia?

Oh yeah. Everything that’s happened the past few years has been a much-needed wake-up call. And I’d like to think that the majority of men have heard the stories of women in particular – it’s not always, but largely, women – and had to have a sort of self reckoning. Now, clearly, we’re still seeing reports about terrible occurrences and clearly that’s still ongoing. Maybe I’m being naive here, but I’d like to think that many more men have taken a moment to reflect on how they behave around women.

Mark Humphries on set of The 6.57pm News. Picture: Seve

The comedian has taken aim at former US President (and current presidential hopeful) Donald Trump. Picture: Seven

Listen to the full interview with Mark Humphries on the latest episode of Something To Talk About:

Quite rightly, we’re seeing more conversations about celebrating role models for women. But as a mother of two boys, I sometimes fear we don’t have those same conversations in our culture for men.

Conversations for men is an interesting thing. This is going to veer way into a different topic so I’m hesitant to do it. But I’ve gone through a divorce in the past couple of years, and it’s been interesting talking with other divorced dads about how to have some of those conversations, for men to navigate that process. It’s been interesting hearing other men’s experiences and trying to work out if there’s a way to have those conversations where it doesn’t veer into men’s rights activism, or into those toxic elements. Shining light on things and having conversations, as clichéd as it sounds, is really valuable. I didn’t know who to talk to about the challenges of [divorce]. I’m so grateful to the people I know who’d been through it. I’m really grateful for those open conversations. So all those things, those uncomfortable conversations, when we can have them, I think they make a huge difference.

The 6.57pm News airs Fridays on Seven. Mark tours nationally with The War On 2024 Annual Comedy Gala from November 27. Visit theantiexperts.com

Listen to the full interview with Mark Humphries on the Stellar podcast, Something To Talk About. For more from Stellar, click here.