Jackie Epstein: Sheargold was starting to resemble a cat with so many lives

First it was Marty Sheargold’s antics that saw him booted from the AFL Grand Final, now he’s rattled off some more offensive comments. There had to come a tipping point.

Marty Sheargold had started to resemble a cat with so many lives.

Hiding behind comedy was his go-to escape, but when you continue to speak and behave in an unacceptable manner it’s a pattern of behaviour and the jokes weren’t funny anymore.

As a Triple M host with his own show, he became a repeat offender and was repeatedly absolved.

As a highly paid and promoted breakfast host in 2023, he was asked to leave the Grand Final at halftime while his employer was hosting guests in corporate seats.

He admitted to being loud and abusive, and he made obnoxious comments towards women.

When contacted about the incident, Southern Cross Austereo at the time feigned ignorance and never responded to our inquiry.

Silence until Sheargold took himself off air five days later and issued a statement that he was struggling with his mental health.

Marty Sheargold hosts Triple M breakfast (Pic March 2023) Picture: Supplied/Triple M

He took a three-month sabbatical and then returned in January 2024 saying he was burnt out and he’d drawn inspiration from two AFL coaches Damien Hardwick and Alastair Clarkson who had put their hand up and said: “I need a break”.

But even that came with an unsavoury reference to heroin and wearing dirty shorts.

In March last year he was called out for making an allegedly anti-Semitic remark
on his show.

Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, urged Sheargold to apologise. But again there was silence and no response when inquiries were made to SCA.

Sheargold continued on until July when he decided to step down from his high-profile breakfast shift.

Sheargold was still doing his podcast, along with the 3-4pm national Triple M show.

The Marty Sheargold Show was then rewarded with a national drive show into New South Wales, Queensland, Gold Coast and regional markets.

SCA’s press release was glowing about the host, spruiking him as “one of Australia’s funniest comedians”.

This latest incident, savaging our national women’s soccer team and women’s sport, prompted a massive national backlash, angering sporting greats, role models, industry leaders and politicians.

The noise was growing louder and not even Sheargold could survive this controversy with another life.

Originally published as Jackie Epstein: Sheargold was starting to resemble a cat with so many lives