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Sarah Murdoch dumps Top Model producers

"...after what happened this year I thought very hard about it and decided it was probably time for a change," says the host and Exec Producer.

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Sarah Murdoch has dumped Granada Media Australia from the next season of Australia’s Next Top Model.

The change follows the infamous finale in which she announced the wrong winner during a live production bungle. The error was later attributed to a Producer not pressing a button to her earpiece.

“Granada produced Australia’s Next Top Model for six years. I worked with them for two years. They are a very talented and hard working crew. But after what happened this year I thought very hard about it and decided it was probably time for a change,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Murdoch is Executive Producer of the show via her Room 329 production company.

The newspaper says Shine Australia is expected to win the contract.

It notes: Several people are expected to lose their jobs over the move – though several others will presumably gain employment. Australian TV is a small pond. And in that pond, we are told, there is much concern by what appears to be an ominous show of power by someone with ambitions to join the school of big fish.

28 Responses

  2. @Allie, it is widely known within the industry that she was told the right winner from the outset, there were many people all listening to the same frequency. Granada issued a release claiming responsibility out of fear…

    A lot more will come of this and i hope to see Granada sue.

  6. I understand her decision, entirely. Having worked as a director in control rooms, and produced segments, you have to take the utmost care of your on camera talent – and that balls up was probably the Worst thing you can do to a presenter – unintentionally of course. It brought the entire series down in one fell swoop. The sacking is the way of the business. Someone has to pay – right or wrong. I wouldn’t easily trust the same people again would you?

  8. Granada were stupid to allow her an EP credit and any kind of creative control. They made their own bed.

    Guess they still have that awesome Four Weddings show though.

  12. First of all, they’re still going on about this? Second of all, sure it was a bit of a hiccup but isn’t this a little harsh? I mean, after the fire she came under in the aftermath, you’d think Sarah Murdoch would have just a tiny bit of empathy.

  15. If I was the producer (in other words, the boss!) and an employee/employees made me look a fool on world wide media, I’d be looking for punishments that I could inflict that were more than sacking.

    They’re lucky all they got was the sack.

  18. Love how the SMH likes to have a bit of a dig at Murdoch, his family, or his media interests, whenever they get the chance. I know, it goes the other way too.

    In that last little bit of editorialising, where they say that “…we are told, there is much concern…”, just exactly who is it that is concerned and who was it that told them of this concern?

  20. @Allie – the ‘problem’ is that as soon as you call yourself an EP you immediately have to take responsibility for the show, no matter what happens. By sacking the prod co she is effectively saying that she is only wiling to bear responsibility if things go well. In my view, this makes her a coward and an amateur when it comes to tv production. (Wow – listen to me, Rowwwr!!) That said, who knows what other motives are at play behind closed doors…

  24. As the SMH articles eludes to this sounds of a chance by Sarah to reinforce “not my fault” It is a shame i know quite a few on the prod team they are very talented hard working people, but no doubt they will probably become Shine employees!

  25. Bottom line is that they stuffed up at the worst possible moment and made her look a fool. As Exec Producer, Ms Murdoch is the boss, so she is free to sack them. I don’t see the problem.

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