While former Olympic athlete Matt Shirvington has been confirmed as the new co-host of the Seven Network’s breakfast show Sunrise, I can reveal that some other very big names were in the running and just missed out on the coveted gig.
One name considered by Seven’s head honchos was the ABC’s own brekkie star Michael Rowland (left in main picture) whose sudden absence on leave in the past few weeks set tongues wagging in the corridors of our national broadcaster.
“Michael’s decision to take leave was very sudden,” one ABC source told me. “Many of us thought it was just too coincidental that Kochie pulls the pin, then Michael decides to take time off.
“Not only that, but after word had got out that Seven was likely to favour someone who was bald and wore designer specs like Kochie so as not to upset their Sunrise audience, Michael was seen leaving the ABC News Breakfast studios in Melbourne with his head shaved and a pair of glasses that looked just like Kochie’s.
“He was also heard booking a flight to Sydney where we knew auditions were being held for the Sunrise co-hosting job,” my ABC source said
I am told by sources within Sunrise that Rowland performed well at an audition but ultimately put offside those designated to choose Kochie’s replacement by his constant dad jokes and bad puns.
I can reveal that another Melbourne identity considered but rejected for the Sunrise post was News Crap Australia’s federal political writer James Campbell (right in main picture), but a source said he too didn’t make the cut.
“The Seven execs at the audition found James to be loud, self-important, bombastic, and often ill-informed yet that didn’t stop him offering – often imposing – his views on others,” one source told me. “In other words, he’d be a perfect replacement for Kochie.
“But they felt he was a little too left-wing compared to Kochie, so his name was scratched.”
I understand both Rowland and Campbell were both puzzled by Seven’s insistence that their auditions also feature a type of “swimsuit section” in which they were asked to strip naked, don a full-body lycra athletics suit, and run up and down the room several times.
Want to be alerted immediately a new blog hits Australia’s longest running and most offensive satire site? Simply click on the Follow sign or the link below to be emailed new yarns the moment they are uploaded! The very second we go far too far – and trust us we will – you can then quickly unfollow via the three dots!
The Bug Online 