Mad as Hell’s green room mayhem

It’s the whodunnit gripping the ABC: who turned Aunty’s green room a distinct shade of technicolour?

Cartoon: Jon Kudelka.

It’s the Agatha Christie-style whodunnit gripping the ABC’s TV operations: the curious case of who turned Aunty’s green room a distinct shade of technicolour last week.

Maybe we can help. Diary is reliably informed that last Tuesday night, the crew from Mad as Hell had a post-show wrap celebration in the ABC Melbourne green room after last week’s show. But as night turned into early morning, we’re informed that some of those present partook a bit too liberally of the night’s available refreshments, and the adjacent women’s dressing room was made to grievously suffer.

The next day producers of ABC shows came in to find, ahem, the regurgitated remains of the previous night’s activities and red wine liberally distributed through the women’s dressing room. Not only that, but items in the women’s wardrobe were raided and strewn across the floor. While it may seem wild for the ABC, it’s fairly tame by the standards of Nine’s legendary partying under the late Sam ­Chisholm in the 1980s.

Happily, there’s one person we’re assured was not responsible for the mess: the show’s on-air presenter, the inimitable Shaun ­Micallef.

Shaun Micallef.

Diary is reliably informed that Micallef — notably a teetotaller — was mortified in the aftermath of the night’s events. Indeed, we’re told that the mineral water-sipping comedian was mad as hell that the soiled green room might also be used to tarnish his good name.

Sounds like something straight out of a Micallef comedy script. But as the ABC steam cleaners were deployed on Wednesday, we’re told the comedian sent an unusually serious email with an abject apology to other shows about it. Now forensic ABC investigators have their magnifying glasses out as they trawl through the physical evidence and CCTV footage in an attempt to catch the phantom chunderer.

Diary hears one thing is certain: the incident will signal the end of green room drinks for Mad as Hell’s crew, who’ll have to imbibe elsewhere in future. It’s already been an eventful season for the show. Last month, the ABC accidentally broadcast the wrong episode of Mad as Hell, leaving that week’s version in the can.

That prompted Micallef to poke fun at the incident on his own show and on the ABC’s 7.30. The latest incident is rich in potential for more on-air Micallef shenanigans.

Drinking doco

There’s a further twist to Diary’s revelations. In light of last week’s drinking games, a delicious irony lies in the topic of a new ABC show currently under discussion.

Diary is very reliably informed that none other than Shaun Micallef has been preparing to host a light-hearted new Australian documentary. The subject? Wait for it — Australia’s drinking culture.

You couldn’t make it up. Perhaps the much-loved comedian can start his rollicking new documentary in the ABC green room!

Apparently Micallef was sounded out for the potential new show because of his unique perspective as a teetotaller.

It wouldn’t be the first documentary the comedian has been involved with. Way back in 2012, Micallef recorded a fascinating episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in which he traced his father’s remarkable past in Malta.

Frydenberg revelations

With the anniversary of the coup against Malcolm Turnbull coming up next week, the feature length post-mortems are providing some intriguing insights into the behind-the-scenes machinations between politicians that led up to it.

As is becoming increasingly clear, some very close friendships were put to the test.

Diary has learnt of a juicy snippet from Venom, the upcoming book about the coup by The Australian’s former political correspondent, David Crowe — released by Harper Collins next week to coincide with the one-year milestone — that will point to Josh Frydenberg being given early encouragement to run for the position before any leadership spill.

What makes this more surprising is that the encouragement was coming from cabinet ministers who supported Turnbull in the coup.

Crowe, now the chief political correspondent for The SMH and The Age, will reveal in the book that the current Education Minister Dan Tehan — at that point in charge of social services — gave some sage advice to his cabinet colleague on the day before the first Tuesday spill (which Turnbull survived).

Crowe reports that Tehan told Frydenberg: “If it all goes to custard, I want you to think of putting your hand up and running for deputy.”

Tehan’s suggestion, as Crowe reveals, carried some tricky personal politics for Frydenberg.

In the days leading up to the spill, it was rumoured that Health Minister Greg Hunt wanted to run for deputy, as part of a leadership ticket with Peter Dutton. Tehan apparently believed Frydenberg would be a far better deputy than Hunt and a more unifying figure for the party.

Only problem was, Frydenberg and Hunt were very close mates. Frydenberg was best man at Hunt’s wedding and godfather to his daughter, Poppy. Meanwhile, Hunt was groomsman at Frydenberg’s wedding.

As history now shows, the university buddies went head-to-head for the deputy leadership four days after Tehan’s advice, with Frydenberg winning comfortably when the final spill took place that saw ScoMo become PM.

And what was the impact on the friendship between Hunt and Frydenberg? Insiders say that the pragmatic nature of politics mean there are no lingering signs of animosity — outwardly, at least.

Nine reporters’ rights

Early cracks have appeared in Nine’s edict to staff at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that they report for 60 Minutes and ACA when they dabble in TV, rather than the ABC’s Four Corners, as revealed in Diary last week.

The problem lies in promises made to two of the former Fairfax’s biggest names: The Age investigative reporters Adele Ferguson and Nick McKenzie. Both have reported several times for Four Corners in recent years.

The promises made to the investigative pair did not come from just anyone, but the very top: Nine’s CEO Hugh Marks. Diary understands that in the days after Nine bought Fairfax last year, Marks was at pains to reassure the two gun reporters over any nervousness about the new ownership.

The Nine boss gave an assurance to Ferguson and McKenzie that they would not be restricted in any way in their ability to continue to file for Four Corners. While Marks wanted Ferguson and McKenzie to consider reporting for Nine brands, the final decision, he said, was up to them.

McKenzie’s report on Crown on 60 Minutes a fortnight back showed that he is more than willing to file reports on Nine when the story fits. We’re told Ferguson holds a similar view.

But Diary understands that the pair intend to hold Marks to his word that they have the flexibility to be able to file for the ABC, and Four Corners in particular, whenever they choose.

Macquarie carnage

If you want any insight into why Nine isn’t willing to pay John Singleton anything like the $100 million he wants for his remaining stake in Macquarie Media, owner of 2GB, 3AW and 4BC, look no further than the radio network’s latest financial results last week.

They could be best summarised as follows: ad revenues, profits and earnings down, debts sharply up.

Profit after tax for the period fell by a third. But what has really alarmed Nine is that the result could have been so much worse.

Macquarie was saved from a much bigger disaster by one man: Clive Palmer. Remember, Macquarie, and 2GB in particular, were radio’s biggest winners from Palmer’s burst of financial generosity to media companies in the lead-up to the federal election, in the form of $60m of virtual non-stop campaign ads. (All together now: “Australia ain’t gonna cop it…”)

But Diary hears that since Palmer stopped advertising in May, ad sales could be best described as patchy for 2GB, particularly in its conservative fortress of Sydney.

While live reads for Alan Jones and Ray Hadley are tracking normally (we’re told Jones attracts $3000 for a 30 second live read), the same cannot be said for other types of ads on the network.

Diary hears some 2GB ad packages across a range of programming are being offered at 40 per cent-plus discounts. Traffic report sponsorships are also proving hard to sell.

But it’s over at Macquarie Sports Radio, the low-rating sister network of Macquarie’s main news-talk stations, where the picture is most dire. Diary is hearing of some ads on that network being offered for as little as — wait for it — 50 bucks.

That’s not making bosses happy. We’re told the sales team was on the receiving end of a rocket from Macquarie’s national commercial boss Mark Noakes at an internal meeting a fortnight or so back. His message could perhaps be most kindly summed up in two words: “Pressure’s on.”

Banana drama

Diary’s report a fortnight ago asking whether Lisa Wilkinson was now “the fourth banana” at Ten’s The Project, behind Carrie Bickmore, Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar, has certainly prompted some interesting follow-ups elsewhere.

Lisa Wilkinson.

First, women’s magazines, including Woman’s Day, published their own very special versions of our report that Wilkinson had “shuffled off” early from The Project’s 10th anniversary celebrations a few weeks back.

In Woman’s Day’sversion of events, the former Today co-host had left the party “in a huff”, after feeling like an “unwanted stepchild”. You’ve got to love the poetic licence of women’s mags!

Now even Sportsbet has since got in on the act. Since Diary’s item, the betting agency has started a market on whether Wilkinson will leave The Project before the 2020 ratings year. Last week, they had Wilkinson’s departure as an odds-on, $1.85 favourite.

Trioli’s big farewell

ABC TV’s news and current affairs division will continue its year of high-profile presenter goodbyes this week, with Diary hearing ­Virginia Trioli will be formally farewelled on and off-air on Friday from ABC News Breakfast, the show she co-founded 11 years ago.

Trioli’s farewell follows Barrie Cassidy’s send-off from Insiders in June. Word is that the on-air tributes will include a highlights package from her period on the show, which will hopefully also include some of her more entertaining bloopers. Who could forget her classic line, straight down the barrel of the camera when the show was still on the ABC’s digital multi-channel in 2010: “Good morning, you’re watching ABC News 24, I’m Michael Rowland.”

There will also be tributes from Trioli’s long-term colleagues on the show, including the real Michael Rowland, sports presenter Paul Kennedy and weatherman Nate Byrne.

Later, the festivities will spill out of the ABC’s Southbank studios in Melbourne to the nearby Fatto Bar and Cantina for “breakfast and bubbles”, according to the invitations. Diary hears the heavyweight guests will include the current ABC News Breakfast line-up, plus Trioli’s successor Lisa Millar, the ABC’s news and current affairs supremo Gaven Morris, Morris’s predecessor Kate Torney and the show’s regular guests.

Trioli will take over the departing Jon Faine’s morning radio shift on Melbourne ABC local radio in Melbourne in October — no doubt prompting yet another retirement extravaganza for Faine. Just don’t expect ABC colleague Leigh Sales to show up to that farewell after Faine’s spray about her 7.30 exclusive with George Calombaris a few days back.

Dynamic duo

Beyond Virginia Trioli’s farewell, attention is turning to how ABC News Breakfast will evolve under the new on-air hosting team of ­Michael Rowland and Lisa Millar.

Diary is hearing it will look to reinvent itself as being less inner-city Melbourne and more regional Australia — in keeping with a recent federal election that demonstrated that places like regional Queensland have just as much clout as the major cities.

In recent days, Rowland embarked on a bush tour for the show that took in regional Queensland and NSW.

Aunty wants more of that bush flavour, something that Millar’s Queensland regional heritage (she grew up near Gympie) can capitalise on.

ABC news bosses also hope this formula can help it take on the other breakfast shows, particularly Today, in the ratings, particularly given the 25-year friendship between Rowland and Millar.

In a stint earlier this year when Millar guest-hosted with Rowland while Trioli was away, ABC News Breakfast performed strongly in the ratings against Today.

Now the ambition, and challenge, for Aunty is to try to routinely beat Nine’s battling breakfast show once Millar is in the chair.