Sam Newman spills the beans on his infamous Footy Show silent protest

Told “don’t say this” and “don’t talk about that” by producers on the Footy Show, a fed up Sam Newman staged a now famous protest. He explains why he took the radical action.

With a two part documentary in the works to mark the 30 year history of The Footy Show, Sam Newman has told of the infamous night when he refused to utter a single word on the show.

Newman made his silent protest in July 2017 after being warned before the show not to speak about certain topics.

His response was not to speak at all as hosts Craig Hutchison and Rebecca Maddern tried valiantly to keep the program on the rails.

Within days Hutchison was replaced as host by Eddie McGuire and the show was rested for a couple of weeks.

Newman said the silent treatment was not directed at either Hutchison or Maddern, but was rather him keeping his word.

“They (producers) said something like ‘you are speaking nonsense’ or ‘don’t say this’ or ‘don’t talk about that’ and so I said, ‘OK, I won’t speak about anything’,” he said.

Sam Newman signs off at the end of the Footy Show. Picture: Supplied

“True to my word, I didn’t. There is no use saying you are going to do something and then not doing it, so I thought I would leave it to them to get on with the show and I will just sit there and watch how it is meant to be done.

“Craig was there, Rebecca was there, it was not a personal thing to any of those people. “Someone had told me before we went on not to mention something and I thought, ‘Well, I won’t mention anything’.”

Newman said he and Hutchison had spoken since his 2017 on air protest.

“Yes, I have spoken to him plenty of times. He is a very good man.”

Sam Newman with Eddie McGuire on The Footy Show. Picture: Supplied

As for how his stunt was received, he recalled The Footy Show team being “pretty ticked off as it turns out.”

Meanwhile, despite having a badly infected right foot, Newman is now enjoying a splash around in the waters of the Whitsundays on his tropic sailing adventure.

“My foot is finally healed over,” he said.

“I have been in the water a couple of times. I have gaffer taped it up and made it waterproof. “I used high strength gaffer tape that people use to bind pipes and make them waterproof and I bound my leg up with that so no water could get in.”

The Footy Show specials are being made by JAMTV and will be seen on Channel 9 later this year.