Sam Newman has opened up on his controversial exit from The Footy Show and the recent tragedies he has been forced to endure.
Sam Newman has reflected on why he walked away from The Footy Show, as well as the recent tragic deaths of two of the people he was closest to.
In an exclusive interview with Stellar, Newman — the former Geelong star turned media personality — spoke about his devastation at the deaths of wife Amanda Brown and great mate Shane Warne.
The Aussie cricketer died in March of a heart attack and Brown died last year aged just 50.
Brown was Newman’s fourth wife and he made a sad revelation about being alone for the first time in his life.
“I think of Amanda probably every day in some aspect,” Newman said.
“It was a big shock. It was an even bigger shock than what happened to Shane, but to have those two things happen to two people I was so close to, so close together, was hard.
“This is the first time I’ve been on my own, which is a bit of a shock at 76!”
In the same interview, Newman said “restrictions” were the reason he quit The Footy Show after 25 years with the popular program.
“I loved The Footy Show. I loved doing what I did, but it became an arduous, annoying and tough thing to do in the last two years because of the restrictions put on our show, generally, and me, specifically,” Newman told Stellar.
“I couldn’t do what I was employed to do, and this was reflected in the ratings and the (fan) comments (such as), ‘Why can’t we do this?’ and ‘Why aren’t I doing that?’
“I wouldn’t think, under any circumstances, I’d go back to TV but of course, as they say, never say never.
“Someone might come and suggest something, and I might think it’s a good idea. But I wouldn’t think so.”
After Newman and Eddie McGuire both left The Footy Show the program returned with new hosts, but it was quickly axed by Channel 9 because of poor ratings.
Read the full interview with Sam Newman in today’s issue of Stellar
