Channel 9 have stopped short of sacking Matt Johns and announced today they will remove the personality from his current duties until further notice. While the outcry to oust Johns was growing, Channel 9 knew they couldn’t sack the star as he would be picked up by a rival network in due course.
By simply standing Johns down indefinitely, Channel 9 can allow the media storm to pass and bring Johns back into the front line in 6-12 months time, or whenever they see fit.
Adding to Johns’ woes, his additional employer the Melbourne Storm have also stood him down from duties with the club after initially saying they would support him.
Johns, who has been named in a sex scandal following a documentary on the ABC’s Four Corners on Monday, met with Nine boss David Gyngell this morning and was well backed by wife Trish and Nine colleague Phil Gould.
The network announced they were shelving him at around 1pm in a decision that was said to have been be made in the best interests of the network, Johns, his family and the game.
Johns has just recorded an interview with Tracey Grimshaw for the Footy Show that will air tonight .
what are channel 9 thinking dropping matt johns for some thing that may or may not have happon 7 years ago. to start with every one has seen this story before and it was ok to give him the job in the first place, but take it off him when it resurfacest. but not only he is what got you the logie with the nrl footyshow the past few years. This is the biggest job ever
As we are a young New Zealand family living in Sydney we are very very shocked and massively disappointed to hear that Matthew Johns has been sacked from channel 9 and the footy show. And for what? Sure he shouldnt have cheated on his lovely wife and family but at the end of the day it is only for them to sort out. The media have hung him out to dry for having consentual group sex. Not even the police can find any criminal actions against him. We understand that group sex is not for everyone but it does happen, just like homosexual activity. Its not a crime. After watching ACA with Tracey Grimshaw has confirmed for us that we wont be watching the footy show or ACA until Matty is back where he belongs, on the TV. Hang in there Matthew and the Johns family, we are 100% behind you!!!
What Matt Johns and the nameless others did was wrong. However it was not illegal, and the fact that the girl involved now feels bad (understatement) about what happened does not change the fact. Don’t get me wrong, if this was my daughter, I’d want a piece of him and the other cowards involved who have left Matt to face the music alone, not to mention how disgusted I would be with her. My question is how can David Gyngell justify standing Matt down and possibly ending his career, when he obviously had no problem with Matt Newton who was convicted of assulting his then girlfriend- an actual criminal offence recorded for violence against a woman, being given the lead role in the biggest TV show of the year- Underbelly 2? Can somebody pass him a dictionary and point out the meaning of the word hypocrite? I bet Matt Johns wishes his dad had as much pull as what Matt Newton’s dad obviously has with Mr Gyngell. Shame on you chanel nine.
I am disgusted that Matthew Johns has lost his job over an incident that occured 7 years ago. I think people out there need to realise that some girls out there are very interested in sleeping with these high profile people. I dont think that its fair that girls can willingly agree to such situations and then decide later that they were taken advantage of. If she was willing to have sex with Johns having just met him, then i am sorry but that tells you a little about this girls morals! If you ask me – sounds like she made a bad decision that night and is now looking for someone else to blame!
Regarding Matty Johns, why did she only remember one footballer Matty Johns, why did she go back with them to the hotel room, I think she had a thing for Matty, why did she not leave the room, why did she wait 7 years to tell her story, if you go into a bedroom with a couple of guys, you know what is going to happen. After it is all over she gets dressed and leaves, no one was charged, she was consenting, now she wants money, I think the whole thing is pretty rotten, I think
she wants money, I watched 4 Corners and she wants to kill them, shoot them, well 7 years ago she wanted to have sex with them, she should wake up, she had ruined his career. There are so many conniving women in this world, she is just one more.
we 100 % behind matthew johns we have seen how fanastic he is on the nrl footy show but how could the girl the 7 years back and tell the story want he did if did it why couldnt she come out 7 years ago instand reckoning his career
Regarding Matty Johns, why is that she can only remember one footballer, Matty Johns, why did she go back with them to the hotel room and bedroom, because she had a thing for Matty Johns. Why did she not leave the room, why did she wait seven years to tell her story. If you go into a bedroom with a couple of guys, you know what is going to happen, she was consenting to having sex with them.
When it is all over she just gets up, gets dressed and leaves. Why did she wait a week to go to the police. Now she wants money, I think the whole thing is pretty rotten. I watched 4 Corners, now she wants to shoot them, kill them, 7 years ago
she wanted to have sex with them, she shoul wake up, she has ruined his career, there are so many conniving women out there, she is just one more,I think Channel 9 should not have stood him down, you hang in there Matt I am behind you 100 percent.
Well, here we go again – A Johns brother in the news flanked by scandle – tell me if my husband had done the same thing 7 years ago would it even be news? NO. the only reason this has surfaced is clearly due to the fact the so called victim was hoping for a payout. When Matty & Andrew were playing Football they were the best thing since sliced bread “HERO’s” now retired why are people trying to distroy their lives. We all make mistakes, fortunately for us ours are not made public knowledge. Leave him alone and trust that he is being honest when he claims the event to be consential, he was foolish for risking his marriage. I think the nature of the game has changed so much and Super League distroyed Rugby League as we knew it. If these young players were able to experiance holding proper fulltime jobs and the responsibility that goes with it – it would be a different game today. Matty Keep your chin up, the past is the past you should only look to the future and stuff channel nine and the footy show for not supporting you – I will never watch it again……..
i was watching the news earlier on, and heard that matty johns got banned from tv, i was wondering if they would make an exception for rgg ragon to appear on the footy show, considering it is a completely different perosn 😉
The only person Matty Johns has to answer to regarding these allegations is his wife, and that is obviously something that has already taken place and been worked through 7 YEARS AGO!! Channel 9 you have made a huge mistake in standing Matt Johns down and I hope the ratings of the footy show drop to prove this – no offence to the other presenters on the show! Matty I feel for you and your family and hope that you work through this and get past this quickly and that the woman who has dragged this up also receives her just deserves for ruining this poor fellas life – shame on you!!!
I am disgusted that Channel 9 have stood Matt Johns down. They should have stood by him. They should have said these allegations were investigated 7yrs ago and were unfounded and since no new evidence has come forward there is no course of action that needs to be taken. I watched that 4 corners interview and I am wondering if Channel 9 staff also watched it. Because I NEVER once heard that lady say that Matt Jonhs raped her, I never once heard her say she was gang raped. I never once heard her say it wasn’t consensual sex with any of the players she had sex with. The only reason it is has come forward today is so this lady can get some media attention and make alot of money out it. The only person Matt Jonhs has to answer to is his wife and he did that 7yrs ago. All the talk about respecting women and degrading women has me so mad. Women need to be responsible for their own actions and not go around sleeping around with men then try to cash in on it later. I think better education for young girls is the key. Women need to respect themselves.
Channel 9, the footy show was great because of Matt Johns, now it just fills in the gaps on thursday night TV, It isn’t the Footy Show without Matt..
They need to keep him on 9
Andrew Johns (A Legend of Australian & Icon to Football) Newcastle Knights.
Mathew Johns (A Legend of Australian & Icon to Football) Newcastle Knights
Ref: Sex, Drug’s & NFL.
We as Australians are the first to embrace our Legends, but we are the First to tear them down.
The problem of Drugs will touch everyone in some way, and not to accept it for what it is, an Addiction, is just, as pathetic as the problem itself.
Recreational Stimuli, Alcohol or Pharmaceuticals or even Organic there is no difference, they are part of our culture like it or not.
Someone you know will be affected by one or all, Judge not, as it could be yourself or a loved one affected.
Let these Men rebuild, Whilst they still has a chance, they gave many people plenty of joy, kids hope, made the Newcastle Knights a Family name and became a corner stone of NRL history.
Don’t judge, help rebuild something in the Heart and Mind of a Great Footballer’s and a Great Australians.
Do we fear too much from our own Inadequacies, not Help others.
Is that What Australian means.
Ask, draw deep from within, Have you never known the feeling of sadness in being alone whilst in a crowd.
Many people from all walks of Life, although surrounded by company and adulation, suffer a battle with loneliness, a personal battle, that may not be shown outwardly but is kept secret within the depths of the soul.
It is here that the demons of the mind, play havoc, messages that taunt and make decision making unclear, causing a normal person, to do things that are out of character.
Many of us never suffer, yet we choose to ignore the ones around us who cry out for help, choosing not hear, until a personality is torn apart in the Press or Media, we all like to ride hi on his or her wave, expressing our wishes to know or be associated with them, until the moment we fear, Reality hits home.
R.I.P….. Heath Ledger (Casualty of Life.)
They are as human as you and I, and need the same respect; we afford ourselves, why do we expect more? Why do we expect them to be something we are not, living under the enormous pressure there exposed to, in every facet of there daily life, they give up the right to have a personal existence to become a Public trophy.
It is there natural ability and skill that takes them to those heights, but it is our adulation and expectations of them that causes the underlying circumstances to appear.
Is the understanding and rational taken from us when someone becomes a Legend or Icon, if so Why then is not, that understanding given to them to cope with the added pressure of us?
Stephen J. Cronan. Brisbane / Bangkok. 2009-05-18