Page 13: Footy Show rumours suggest all not so rosy with reboot

GOSSIP is rife Rebecca Maddern isn’t happy with The Footy Show’s new set up as details of Eddie McGuire’s plans to reinvent the flailing format emerge.

CHANNEL 9 wants us to believe The Footy Show reboot is a love-in, but word is Rebecca Maddern is unhappy to find herself sidelined.

Sources say Maddern is annoyed because she left Seven to host The Footy Show, not play second fiddle to returning host Eddie McGuire.

Maddern’s manager, former Collingwood tough guy Craig Kelly, has angrily denied he has had to play peacemaker between Maddern, McGuire Media and Channel 9, saying rumours of any bad blood on the set were “absolute crap”.

An irate Kelly bellowed to Page 13 that Maddern had enjoyed a “lovely dinner” with McGuire this week describing him as the “most beautiful guy”.

“She is so excited (about the changes),” Kelly said.

“She’s over the moon. She’s having four days up in the sun and she cannot wait.”

THERE IS NO STOPPING EDDIE INC

NERVES WON’T BE A FACTOR FOR REBECCA MADDERN

Craig Kelly has angrily denied he has had to play peacemaker between Maddern, McGuire Media and Channel 9. Picture: Dylan Coker

Likewise Kelly said Maddern only spoke highly of Sam Newman, telling her manager “the Fossil” had been “unbelievable to her” since being on the show.

Getting McGuire back on the long-running show as Mr Interlocutor is what his pal Newman has wanted all along.

Newman forced Nine’s hand to reinstate McGuire with his on-air hissy fit, keeping his mouth zipped and flipping the bird to someone in the audience.

He was effectively giving the finger because the producers would not let him front-up in a dress as a comment on the “love rats” scandal in the AFL.

SAM NEWMAN’S BIZARRE THE FOOTY SHOW PERFORMANCE

RITA PANAHI: THE FOOTY SHOW WITHOUT SAM NEWMAN IS LIKE HOT DOG WITHOUT SAUCE

The next day, Craig Hutchison was gone and McGuire was back.

McGuire has wasted no time banishing all the old Footy Show posters from Nine’s Docklands HQ. He wants to forget the past and move the show forward the McGuire way.

How Maddern fits into McGuire’s vision remains to be seen. But we do know the first show on Thursday is just 90 minutes long.

One of the ideas mooted by McGuire’s team, now looking after the show, is for McGuire to man the desk alone while Maddern is possibly shunted to the sidelines.

It is all part of McGuire’s smart move to reinvent the flailing format as a variety show, with live bands and international acts able to use it as a promotional vehicle when in town.

Some industry insiders have suggested McGuire is succeeding where the likes of Karl Stefanovic and Daryl Somers have failed and is getting himself a kind of Tonight Show by stealth.

Despite Maddern’s manager’s emphatic denials, gossip is rife that she isn’t happy with the new set-up. She’s understandably wary of being cast as a “barrel girl”.

Maddern isn’t the only one with concerns. Many of the long-serving crew are understandably jittery about what their roles will be under the new regime. Nobody wants to be boned.

Kelly has warned Page 13 he will “be coming after” us if we suggest there’s tension at The Footy Show.

But it’s certainly not the first time Kelly has read us the riot act, but this time we’re wearing the bushranger’s armour.

Soothing egos is the name of the game at The Footy Show even though Kelly takes aim at anyone who might say the opposite.

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