Sam Newman, the host of the AFL Footy Show, has called for anyone with misconduct allegations against him to come forward now, after indicating he might run for the position of lord mayor of Melbourne.
The mayoral spot was vacated last month following the resignation of Robert Doyle, who stood aside in December after former councillor Tessa Sullivan made a formal complaint that she had been indecently assaulted and harassed by Doyle.
An independent investigation released in summary form on Tuesday found that Doyle had sexually harassed both Sullivan and fellow councillor Cathy Oake. Doyle, through his wife Emma Page-Campbell, continued to deny all allegations made against him.
Newman, 72, told Fairfax Media that he wanted anyone with a complaint against him to come forward now.
“Anyone who thinks they’ve been badly treated by me — man, woman or beast — I urge them to come forward,” he said.
He reportedly said he had nothing to hide but wanted to clear the air.
Newman told Fairfax he liked Doyle but would be “very disappointed” in the former Melbourne lord mayor if the allegations against him were found to be true.
“He would suffer the consequences, and he is, because there is no excuse for that for people in a position of authority,” he said. “In fact, it doesn’t matter if it happens in the local pub, it’s just not acceptable anywhere.”
The comments contradict his abrasive on-air persona.
The controversial television host has a history of making offensive comments in front of the camera and has been accused of sexism, racism, homophobia and transphobia over the course of his 25 years on the program.
On 8 March, International Women’s Day and coincidentally the season premiere of the Footy Show, Newman said News Corp columnist Susie O’Brien “gets aroused” by writing about him, adding: “But I don’t think she’s ever got to worry about the #MeToo movement.”
O’Brien responded to the incident in a column in the Herald Sun, writing: “I just got sexually harassed on live TV.”
In 2017, Newman apologised for a segment on Caitlyn Jenner, which LGBT advocacy groups called “plain disgraceful” and “reckless and irresponsible on every level”.
A year earlier, he was criticised for defending Eddie McGuire’s comment about drowning leading AFL journalist Caroline Wilson, calling those who criticised McGuire “excrement” and saying of Wilson: “Even if you were under water you’d still be talking.”
In 2014 he reluctantly apologised for flashing his genitals on the program and in 1999 he wore blackface to impersonate Indigenous footballer Nicky Winmar.
The mayoral byelection will be held on 12 May.
Among the likely candidates is former Andrews government minister and Brunswick MP Jane Garrett, who quit cabinet over the protracted Country Fire Authority industrial dispute and has said she would not recontest her seat at the November state election.
Property Council executive director Sally Capp has confirmed she will run, as has Melbourne City councillor Rohan Leppert, pollster Gary Morgan, and former councillor Ken Ong.
