Channel 7 set to air comedy segment as part of evening news bulletin

Channel 7 is set to make a bold change to its evening news bulletin from tonight, with the network’s own talent admitting he found it a “bizarre” idea.

In one of the most unusual shake-ups to the traditional news bulletin format in recent memory, Channel 7 is set to go to air with a comedy segment in tonight’s national broadcast.

Sydney-based comedian Mark Humphries, best known for his work on ABC’s The Roast, will take to the desk at the tail-end of the 6pm news coverage Friday night, rounding out the one-hour hard-hitting bulletin with his signature brand of satirical humour.

The network’s recently appointed news director Anthony De Ceglie, clearly unafraid to rattle cages and challenge the status quo, says Humphries’ weekly segment, which runs for a tight three minutes, “will use satire to cut through political spin and translate current affairs in the universal news language of taking the piss”.

Comedian Mark Humphries has joined the Channel 7 team.

It’s an incredibly bold direction to take, with evening broadcasts remaining largely unchanged for decades.

Humphries himself admits he thought De Ceglie was joking when he called him with the idea several weeks ago.

“I did think it was bizarre, I’d just never seen anything like it in a news bulletin,” Humphries tells news.com.au.

“But the more I sat on it, and we developed some ideas of how it would look, the more confident I felt with the idea of it.

“I do think there is this tall poppy syndrome whenever things change,” he added.

“We don’t hear something new and go, ‘Yeah!’. But I’m of the attitude where if it doesn’t work out, hey, we tried something a bit different.”

Humphries copped a rather frosty reaction when he announced his new gig on X last month, in which he quipped, “I’m as shocked as you are”.

Renowned for his parody sketches, which often make fun of political events, viewers questioned how a skit would sit alongside serious headlines.

“I’m actually confused,” one user wrote on Humphries’ tweet.

“The news is not a comedy show,” another added.

Humphries is unfazed by reaction to his new segment.

The comedian previously co-hosted Pointless on Channel 10.

While Humphries hasn’t ruled out raiding Home and Away’s wardrobe department, “their studio is right next door”, he jokes, rest assured, there’ll be no Donald Trump wigs.

The comedian, who pulls a package together based on current news events just hours before the segment goes to air, will be seen sitting at a broadcast desk speaking down the camera, cracking jokes and throwing to relevant clips from the week in news.

While comics keep their day jobs by pushing the boundaries, working for a commercial network inevitably brings more opinions into the mix.

When asked if he was given any “no-go zone topics”, Humphries said he was given a gentle reminder that former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce regularly contributes to the network’s coverage.

“I have no comedy without Barnaby Joyce,” Humphries laughs.

“It was one of the first things that was said to me [by Seven], ‘Oh just so you know, Barnaby does appear frequently on Sunrise.’

“I put a joke about him in one of the pilots we did, and the producer said, ‘Barnaby does often contribute to Sunrise, but it’s fine. It’s fine.’

“Thankfully, they have actually been really great in terms of that.”

Mark Ferguson presents the 7News 6pm bulletin in Sydney.

Humphries’ unorthodox involvement is part of a raft of changes De Ceglie has made since replacing Craig McPherson in April.

This week, De Ceglie defended his decision to introduce an astrology segment to the evening bulletins, with Natasha Weber, aka ‘AstroTash’, primed to deliver a 20-second horoscopes report.

“We are incredibly proud of the groundbreaking and quality journalism that 7NEWS produces every single bulletin,” De Ceglie told news.com.au.

“We’re exploring new ideas and concepts to bring in new audiences so that we can showcase them this journalism.

“We’re not going to be afraid to innovate and we’re only just getting started.

“One thing that will never change is our absolute commitment to telling the stories that matter to our viewers.”