60 Minutes’ PM interview a ratings fizzer for Nine

Turns out, viewers didn’t flock to finish their weekends by watching Scott Morrison serenading Karl Stefanovic on the ukulele.

60 Minutes’ much-hyped interview with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and has family was ratings fizzer for Nine last night, shedding almost 200,000 viewers from last week’s episode.

574,000 people across the five metro capitals tuned in to watch Karl Stefanovic’s interview with the Morrisons last night, highlights of which included the PM serenading viewers with a ukulele performance of the Dragon classic April Sun in Cuba.

It meant 60 Minutes was beaten in its timeslot by British crime drama Vera on the ABC, which drew 587,000 viewers. It was also a steep drop-off from Married At First Sight, which was watched by 961,000 viewers in the five metro capitals in the timeslot before 60 Minutes on Nine.

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Scott Morrison on 60 Minutes: “Anyway, here’s Wonderwall”

Last Sunday, 60 Minutes’ exclusive interview with the parents of abducted toddler Cleo Smith had drawn 750,000 viewers for Nine across the five metro capitals. Even those figures were considered soft, though, given the reported $2m Nine paid Cleo’s parents to secure the interview.

Backlash over Morrisons’ interview

The PM’s wife Jenny Morrison has copped a backlash overnight as fury grows over her comments surrounding Grace Tame and “manners” on 60 Minutes.

Mrs Morrison criticised the former Australian of the Year after the recent incident at The Lodge, where Ms Tame was famously photographed during a frosty exchange with the PM.

Karl gets on the homemade margs at Kirribilli.

Speaking to Stefanovic, Mrs Morrison admitted she wished Tame had shown “manners and respect” and was “disappointed” by the whole exchange.

“I just found it a little bit disappointing, because we were welcoming her in our home,” she said.

“I just wish the focus had been on all the incredible people coming in. I respect people that want to change things, stand up for their beliefs, and are strong, but I still think there are manners and respect.”

Ms Tame is yet to comment.

Elsewhere, the Aussie rock band Dragon have weighed in on the PM’s memorable ukulele-led performance of their 1977 hit, sharing a TikTok video in which Mr Morrison plays the instrument in front of superimposed images of the bushfires along with the caption: “Once again, Dragon are famous for all the wrong reasons.”