Nine disciplines Footy Show star over “unacceptable” comments
Updated: Billy Brownless disciplined for "strippers" remark while Nine boss reportedly says sexist remarks will no longer be tolerated on the Footy Show.
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Channel Nine has disciplined AFL Footy Show star Billy Brownless over comments he made at a junior football function on Friday.
While acting as MC at the Glenferrie Hotel for the Hawthorn Citizens Junior Football Club on Friday he said of a mother and her 18 year old daughter, “Here comes the strippers.”
The woman penned an anonymous, open letter calling on AFL boss Gillon McLachlan to eradicate misogynistic culture within the AFL and called on Nine to add a female producer to The Footy Show.
A Nine spokesperson said, “The matter has been dealt with internally and it has not been taken lightly.
“We have disciplined Billy and he fully understands his actions were unacceptable. We will not tolerate such behaviour,” she said.
“This is not about The Footy Show. We have a responsibility as an industry to ensure people are treated with respect and dignity. There is no place for derogatory remarks or behaviour in our organisation.”
Brownless apologised on the weekend saying, “There’s no excuse for it. I have daughters of my own and I would be mortified and angry if anyone said such remarks about them. I am deeply sorry for what I said and the hurt I have caused.”
Gillon McLachlan has also spoken with GTV9 Managing Director Ian Paterson about the incident, describing the comments as “clearly inappropriate.”
“Channel Nine will make the decisions about the football show but I think that hopefully by leadership on this issue and demonstrating a clear commitment to women everywhere …that ultimately change happens across our industry,” he said.
Brownless will still appear at tonight’s Grand Final edition of The Footy Show.
Source: Fairfax
Update: GTV9 manager Ian Paterson reportedly said sexist remarks will no longer be tolerated on the AFL Footy Show and he wants to create a forum, engaging all networks and leading bosses across all sports, to address the issue.
“He’s come up with an idea to come together and collaborate in a forum actually address how women are treated in sport and in male dominated sporting environments,” the woman told News Corp.
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11 Responses
I’ll give them a hint. Its a show about football, the title of the show suggests this, so how about they actually talk about football???
Can someone please remind the hosts (Lyon and Brayshaw?) they are wearing microphones and it is not necessary to yell all the time.
What are the odds on a female joining the panel on next years show?
What self respecting woman would want to be on the Footy Show in the first place? :-/
So many double standards here…..everyone is fawning over both of the Bach series…..the anonymous author of the letter is openly disrespectful and prejudiced against the stripping/exotic dancing community who work hard on their career….and ultimately the only person looking a bit silly was Billy
I’ve never understood the appeal of Brownless . Just don’t feel he has anything to offer to TV.
One improvement I would like to see in the footy show.
1. Get rid of it.
Some improvements I would like to see in the footy show.
1. Change the opening segment. Do a quick introduction of the panelists and have a chat about pressing footy news. The opening segment is boring and couldn’t care less about he lives of semi regular panellists.
2. One host to keep things in line. Eddie did a pretty good job of keeping things in line and the 2 hosts we have don’t work. It needs 1 strong host.
3. Having some of the panelists on a weekly basis act like naughty school boys who’ve never seen a woman is getting old and needs to change.
4. Need a comedian for a big chunk of the episode. Brownless, Crawford and Newman are not comedians and shouldn’t be filling that role. Hughesy doing one segment every few episodes isn’t enough. Maybe rotating comedians who have an interest in AFL.
I remember years ago that the first half hour of the footy show at 9.30pm start…
Bring back Trevor Marmalade. Unfortunately a lot of the attempt of risky humour by Bill Brownless and to a greater extent Sam Newman is a major drawcard particularly for the male viewers this is why Nine will probably never sack either of them. The worst sort of discipline they would get from Nine would be fines or suspensions (1 or 2 episodes at best). Ratings are the one thing keeping these two Nine.
What’s he up to these days?
Not too sure where Trev is. I heard he moved to Hong Kong a couple of years ago. Can’t understand why they got rid of him on the Footy Show, they need some more decent comedy on that show. He was better suited than Dave Hughes in my opinion on that show.