‘Bizarre’: 7News star hits out at critics

Mark Humphries has broken his silence over the controversy surrounding his lighthearted Friday evening news segment.

Comedian Mark Humphries has broken his silence over the controversy surrounding his weekly satirical spot on Channel Seven’s news.

The host of The 6.57pm News that airs on Friday nights has revealed his thoughts on viewers who responded angrily to his primetime gig.

He’s claimed the backlash came from people being “hostile to new ideas” and called the controversy “bizarre”.

6.57pm News with Mark Humphries.

“I was so stunned because I did five years at 7.30, the ABC’s flagship current affairs program, which I think of all the shows to have a comedy segment, that’s even less likely to have one,” he toldStellar Magazineand the Something To Talk About podcast this week.

“I didn’t know people felt so strongly about the 6 o’clock news and how its integrity must be defended. And, you know, it’s the last three minutes at the end of the week before Better Homes And Gardens. I’ve said this before, but the great thing about The 6.57pm News is that if you want to avoid it, you know exactly what time to tune out. [The reaction] was bizarre.”

He added: “The worst thing that was said about me, that stays with me is, ‘I look like a Ken doll gone wrong!’”

The satirical swerve came courtesy of newly appointed news director Anthony De Ceglie who said the segment “will use satire to cut through political spin and translate current affairs in the universal news language of taking the piss”.

Channel 7’s news division is trying to pick itself up after multiple departures following a Bruce Lehrmann saga and the sacking of high profile reporter Robert Ovadia.

The full interview is in this week's Stellar Magazine.

Mark Humphries has called the backlash “bizarre.”

When Humphries made his debut in July, many viewers were quick to scoff at the segment.

“This was an appalling segment … hire, rather than sack, journos,” said one on 7News’ social media.

“It was a deplorable segment that has no place in a news bulletin,” was another take.

“At least everyone now has time to have a crap and make a hot chocolate before Home and Away starts,” said another.

However, he did win some fans over.

“Made me think of Clarke and Dawe and their brilliance,” one said in a reference to the Channel 9 and later ABC satirical news satire show that ended in 2017.

The 6.57pm show debuted just a day after Sharyn Ghidella, who presented Channel 7’s Brisbane bulletin, was sacked by the network and then seemigly criticised the new segment online.

“I’m not one to have my evening news served up with humour and horoscopes either, so, to be honest, it is time to go,” Ghidella wrote at the time.

“You’ve sacked Sharyn Ghidella and now at the end of the news you have a very unfunny, stupid, moronic idiot on!” was one unflattering opinion.

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Originally published as ‘Bizarre’: 7News star hits out at critics