Australian TV
Matthew Johns rejects 'Footy Show' return
Published Wednesday, Jan 18 2012, 07:06 GMT | By Rebecca Davies | Add comment
Matthew Johns has turned down an offer to return to The Footy Show.
The Australian former sports star, who quit the television series when he was involved in a sex scandal three years ago, was reportedly offered more than $500,000 (£338,635) per season to rejoin the panel.
However, he is said to have declined after the Nine Network refused to hand over creative control of the series to him.
Johns said on his radio show: "They said, 'We're going to reinvent the show', but for me, it's not going to be reinvented. I don't want to go back to the past. I [enjoyed] my time on that show... but it's going to be the same show and I've been there and done that."
His friend and manager John Singleton said that The Footy Show would not succeed in the ratings as long as Paul "Fatty" Vautin was hosting it, describing Vautin as "an average footballer [and] an average TV talent".
Singleton added: "We have been offered in writing more money then he ever got before on Nine and he knocked it back. You cannot work unless you have creative control, production control, and we weren't given that."
Nine boss Jeff Brown described Vautin as "a loyal servant for 18 years" and said that if Johns and Singleton "don't want Fatty on the show and they don't want to do it, that's their decision".
Johns returned to TV in 2010 with his own show but it failed to succeed in the ratings. He later joined Triple M radio.
> Matthew Johns criticised for exposing rivals' salaries
The Australian former sports star, who quit the television series when he was involved in a sex scandal three years ago, was reportedly offered more than $500,000 (£338,635) per season to rejoin the panel.
However, he is said to have declined after the Nine Network refused to hand over creative control of the series to him.
Johns said on his radio show: "They said, 'We're going to reinvent the show', but for me, it's not going to be reinvented. I don't want to go back to the past. I [enjoyed] my time on that show... but it's going to be the same show and I've been there and done that."
His friend and manager John Singleton said that The Footy Show would not succeed in the ratings as long as Paul "Fatty" Vautin was hosting it, describing Vautin as "an average footballer [and] an average TV talent".
Singleton added: "We have been offered in writing more money then he ever got before on Nine and he knocked it back. You cannot work unless you have creative control, production control, and we weren't given that."
Nine boss Jeff Brown described Vautin as "a loyal servant for 18 years" and said that if Johns and Singleton "don't want Fatty on the show and they don't want to do it, that's their decision".
Johns returned to TV in 2010 with his own show but it failed to succeed in the ratings. He later joined Triple M radio.
> Matthew Johns criticised for exposing rivals' salaries
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