Brissy Bulldog
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Don't throw me the dummy pass, says Footy Show outcast
By Roy Masters
May 17, 2005
It's almost certain that the outspoken columnist Rebecca Wilson will appear on Thursday's Footy Show on Channel Nine - but it's possible no one will talk to her.
The show's host, Paul "Fatty" Vautin, and his fellow panelist Peter Sterling met their executive producer, Steve Crawley, yesterday and vehemently expressed their opposition to working with Wilson, claiming she brought nothing to rugby league.
They agreed only to introduce her and not participate in any dialogue with her during the 90-minute panel show.
Aware of their stand, Wilson said: "There is nothing to be gained by a freeze-out. If they decide to do that, the only people they will hurt will be themselves. We're all professionals and I hope Fatty and Sterlo will be as well."
Paul "The Chief" Harragon has also expressed a reluctance to communicate with Wilson.
Nor is it known whether Reg "Bring Back the Biff" Reagan (Matthew Johns) will discuss the intricacies of the grapple tackle with her.
A phone call from Channel Nine's new boss, Sam Chisholm, to Wilson yesterday reassured her she would not be dumped after a couple of shows but did not convince her to agree to terms for a contract.
Wilson, who admits to savaging the show and its Titanic-like ratings in a recent Sunday Telegraph column, said: "I didn't think anyone from Nine would speak to me after what I wrote. "But I haven't got a deal yet. There was a lot of talking today and Sam gave me an assurance, but there is no signed or sealed deal."
Wilson said her contract with Foxtel was a problem in negotiations but she expected it to be resolved in order for her to join the show.
Mr Chisholm is a former Foxtel chairman and sits on the board of Publishing and Broadcasting - the owner of Channel Nine.
Wilson, aware that Thursday night's show will almost certainly attract a big audience because viewers will switch to observe the acidic chemistry, fears she will be dropped after it becomes apparent a panel show does not work if only one person talks.
But she is also seeking clarification whether the show will take a new direction away from its fart jokes and men dressing up as women, and actually discuss the game on the field. "I believe the Footy Show should be about football and go for two hours," she said. "I want to find out what the lay of the land is."
Vautin and Sterling revealed themselves as the unfairer sex in their argument with Crawley yesterday, claiming Wilson was a liability on TV.
She was a panelist on the ABC's The Fat and its failed reincarnation at Channel Seven, 110 per cent Tony Squires.
By Roy Masters
May 17, 2005
It's almost certain that the outspoken columnist Rebecca Wilson will appear on Thursday's Footy Show on Channel Nine - but it's possible no one will talk to her.
The show's host, Paul "Fatty" Vautin, and his fellow panelist Peter Sterling met their executive producer, Steve Crawley, yesterday and vehemently expressed their opposition to working with Wilson, claiming she brought nothing to rugby league.
They agreed only to introduce her and not participate in any dialogue with her during the 90-minute panel show.
Aware of their stand, Wilson said: "There is nothing to be gained by a freeze-out. If they decide to do that, the only people they will hurt will be themselves. We're all professionals and I hope Fatty and Sterlo will be as well."
Paul "The Chief" Harragon has also expressed a reluctance to communicate with Wilson.
Nor is it known whether Reg "Bring Back the Biff" Reagan (Matthew Johns) will discuss the intricacies of the grapple tackle with her.
A phone call from Channel Nine's new boss, Sam Chisholm, to Wilson yesterday reassured her she would not be dumped after a couple of shows but did not convince her to agree to terms for a contract.
Wilson, who admits to savaging the show and its Titanic-like ratings in a recent Sunday Telegraph column, said: "I didn't think anyone from Nine would speak to me after what I wrote. "But I haven't got a deal yet. There was a lot of talking today and Sam gave me an assurance, but there is no signed or sealed deal."
Wilson said her contract with Foxtel was a problem in negotiations but she expected it to be resolved in order for her to join the show.
Mr Chisholm is a former Foxtel chairman and sits on the board of Publishing and Broadcasting - the owner of Channel Nine.
Wilson, aware that Thursday night's show will almost certainly attract a big audience because viewers will switch to observe the acidic chemistry, fears she will be dropped after it becomes apparent a panel show does not work if only one person talks.
But she is also seeking clarification whether the show will take a new direction away from its fart jokes and men dressing up as women, and actually discuss the game on the field. "I believe the Footy Show should be about football and go for two hours," she said. "I want to find out what the lay of the land is."
Vautin and Sterling revealed themselves as the unfairer sex in their argument with Crawley yesterday, claiming Wilson was a liability on TV.
She was a panelist on the ABC's The Fat and its failed reincarnation at Channel Seven, 110 per cent Tony Squires.
