Sam Newman told Channel 10 he wasn’t going into the jungle for I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here
Scallywag Sam Newman won’t have a regular role on The Footy Show next year, but he’s ruled out appearing on reality TV Show I’m a Celebrity … Here’s why.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Sam Newman has a message to his critics, who say he was all but fossilised.
He’s not going anywhere.
But don’t expect him lobbing into the jungle with Ten either.
The Footy Show scallywag known as “The Fossil” or “Foss” confirmed to The Herald Sun he had signed with Nine for at least two more years.
INSIDERS: HOW THE FOOTY SHOW RATINGS TUMBLED
BAD BLOW: FOOTY SHOW RATINGS CRASH TO ALL-TIME LOW
MOVING ON: LONG-TIME MEMBER LEAVES FOOTY SHOW
“I am very pleased to be continuing on with the network,” Newman said.
“I’ll be there for the foreseeable future and I’m very pleased to be on board again. It’s business as usual.”
Newman, 72, has agreed to a new multi-year exclusive deal with Nine after what insiders
describe as “robust discussions”.
Newman’s management had been sounding out opportunities at other networks and Ten
wanted him to be on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!
“I spoke to Ten about that show, but I’m not doing it,” Newman revealed.
Shane Warne recently opened discussions about working with Newman on a nightly television talk show.
The Footy Show veteran said he is open to broadening into other formats that are not just
football related, if Nine lets him.
“It’s something I discussed with Nine and should anything be presented from other outlets,
Nine would have to agree and I would have to get a clearance from Nine to do that,” Newwman said.
Earlier today, Eddie McGuire revealed the The Footy Show will be returning to Australian screens in 2019 in an entirely different format.
He also announced Sam Newman’s return to screens, just three months after the veteran broadcaster resigned on the show.
The Collingwood president made the announcement just before 8am on his morning radio show on Triple M.
“We’re going to have a completely new format next year,” he said.
“We’re going to have an expanded Footy Show format.”
While he did not delve into many details, McGuire revealed he would be stepping away from regular hosting roles on the show and would instead host “tent-pole” specials throughout the footy season with Newman.
“Sam Newman and myself will host a number of footy show specials,” he said.
“I’m so excited. We’re going to have a lot of fun.
“I won’t be hosting the shows throughout the footy season.”
McGuire said the name of the weekly show hadn’t been decided but was most likely remaining as The Footy Show.
“We’re going to turbocharge the things people love,” McGuire said.
“Sam will float through all of the shows but will obviously be a star of the specials.”
The Footy Show grand final episode was one of the rare ratings successes for the show, beating out The Front Bar in Melbourne.
The Grand Final Footy Show, hosted by McGuire and Newman, averaged 247,000 viewers in Melbourne.
The two-hour edition of The Front Bar, with Mick Molloy, Andy Maher and Sam Pang, averaged 229,000.
McGuire added that the new show would be a complete reimagining of what is currently understood as the Footy Show template.
“It will be a completely different new take on what we believe football shows need to be going forward.”
McGuire’s announcement follows a year of mostly bad ratings for Nine’s flagship AFL show.
Those numbers crashed to a new low in October ago when The Footy Show attracted a mere 116,000 viewers in Melbourne.
The dismal figure was worse than Craig Hutchison scored before he was axed and replaced with original host Eddie McGuire in August last year.
To make matters worse, The Footy Show was consistently beaten in the ratings by Channel 7’s rival footy show, The Front Bar.
After an early ratings spike for McGuire’s return, The Footy Show steadily shed its audience while The Front Bar prospered.
There has been a raft of changes to on-air personnel in recent years.
Rebecca Maddern, who joined the program as its first female panellist in 2016 and had her first baby this year, won’t be returning.
James Brayshaw was dumped and replaced by Hutchison, who in turn was axed after a ratings slide.
The Footy Show appeared to be fractious behind the scenes as well.
The Footy Show co-host Newman and producer Harvey Silver reportedly had a spat over a carparking spot.
In September, Newman made an emotional farewell speech on the show, saying he was ready to quit — unless Nine wanted him back in 2019.
There were also of a heated stoush between McGuire and reporter Damian Barrett.
Barrett has since left the show.
It seemed inevitable that Nine had to make major personnel changes to the show to give it any chance of continuing in 2019.
The Herald Sun revealed in August that the secret to The Front Bar’s success this year has been its female audience.
Female viewers made up an average of 45 per cent of the Seven program’s audience each week, with 46.2 per cent in Melbourne, 45 per cent in Adelaide and 48.8 per cent in Perth.
McGuire has staunchly defended the performance of The Footy Show, which first aired in 1994 and at one time dominated ratings across the footy-loving states.
AFL boss opens door for shock Origin return
After the success of the Indigenous All Stars match, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon is keen to kickstart talks to revive State of Origin footy. Details here.
‘A lot to weigh up’: De Koning coy on Blues future as rivals circle
Tom De Koning has conceded he has “a lot to weigh up” as he considers whether to accept a long-term deal to stay at Carlton or test the market as a free agent.