Stay in Touch...
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday September 10, 2009
WITH SQUEAKY CLEAN BROADCASTINGAS THE Sydney radio station 2Day FM moved to muzzle Kyle Sandilands (pictured left) yesterday over his latest on-air indiscretion, the Ten Network announced that Steve Bisley would no longer appear on Celebrity MasterChef, but would be replaced by another grizzly faced actor, Simon Westaway. The change was made known on the same day as revelations surfaced that Bisley, pictured right, will face court next week over allegations that he assaulted his former wife, the Sydney public relations doyenne Sally Burleigh, in a domestic dispute on Sunday. A spokeswoman for Ten denied the swap was made because of Bisley's court date, saying it was instead caused by "scheduling issues" related to filming commitments for an ABC drama. Ten was also first to move after the furore that erupted around a lie detector stunt on the Kyle and Jackie O Breakfast Show in which a 14-year-old girl revealed on air that she had been raped when she was 12. The network quickly dumped the shock jock from the judging panel of Australian Idol. The radio station later put the breakfast show "in recess", and on its return installed a seven-second delay, or "kill switch". Yesterday 2DayFM confirmed that Sandilands had been suspended following on-air comments he made on Tuesday about Magda Szubanski €“ he suggested the comedienne should be put in a concentration camp "and watch the weight fall off". Dannii Minogue and the Australian Idol host Andrew G will join Jackie O on the breakfast show. While there was speculation that Sandilands's career was kaput because 2Day FM advertisers were pressing to have him dumped, the suspension comes at a convenient time for the station €“ the ratings season is on hold until September 21. The station's general manager, Adam Lang, said neither ratings nor advertiser pressure were behind the decision to suspend Sandilands, who was broadcasting from Los Angeles this week. "There is no convenient time for an issue such as this to happen," Lang said. "This isn't an expulsion and the next step is for us to meet with Kyle."WITH KATE AWAY FROM HOMEIN NEWS likely to spark a gossip magazine bidding war, soapie star turned radio host Kate Ritchie has become engaged to her beau, the former rugby league star Stuart Webb. The proposal came as the couple (pictured) are holidaying in Europe following a junket for Ritchie and her NOVA 969 breakfast co-hosts Merrick Watts and Tim Ross on which the trio broadcast from London. All three have stayed on a break over the non-ratings period and are due back on air by September 21. A rep for the former Home and Away star said a wedding date was yet to be set but was looking likely for next year. Stay tuned for the anticipated mag deal covering all the details of the proposal, wedding plans and the big day.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
Share This