A leading television commentator has revealed why he believes it is only a matter of time before Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy and Sharnelle Vella’s ABC Breakfast Radio show will be axed for good.
Murphy made headlines last week after he shocked audiences by making a sexually charged joke live on air about his female co-host, insinuating Vella had once worked at a strip club.
The former Western Bulldogs star made the shock comment during Wednesday’s Melbourne Breakfast show but was forced to make a grovelling apology afterwards, with Vella biting back with a very blunt and frosty response: ‘It’s not OK.’
The pair began presenting the show back in January 2025 after Sammy J (Samuel McMillan) announced he would be leaving ABC. But since January, the show has seen its ratings worryingly slump on multiple occasions.
Television columnist Robert McKnight believes it is now only a matter of time before ABC bosses will can Murphy from the show, because the incident has shown that he and Vella have a lack of chemistry as radio hosts.
‘These two people showed in that very moment that they are not friends and they do not have chemistry,’ McKnight wrote in a column for Channel 7.
A television columnist belielves it is only a matter of time before Robert Murphy leaves the ABC Breakfast show, following the disgraceful comment he made about his co-host Sharnelle Vella
Columnist Robert McKnight (pictured) believes that Murphy could now be axed by ABC
He pointed to both the shock and bizarre joke that Murphy had made and then Vella’s response to his grovelling apology.
The pair had been interviewing Elinor Kasapidis, from Certified Practising Accountants Australia, regarding the subject of getting the right financial advice when Vella had recounted her first job out of high school.
‘I remember when I worked in retail many moons ago when I was still in high school…’
Murphy interjected, stating: ‘Not at Spearmint Rhino?’ in reference to a Melbourne strip club.
Vella appeared to pause briefly, then said ‘No’ before returning to speak with Kasapidis.
There is no claim by Daily Mail Australia that Vella has ever worked in a strip club and it is understood that Murphy’s comments were meant as a joke.
On Thursday, Murphy began the show by attempting to extend an olive branch to his co-host.
‘I think it’d be pertinent from my point of view to start with some news that came out of this studio,’ he began.
Murphy admitted he had broken a promise he made to Vella with the awful remark and apologised live on air
Vella (pictured) left no doubt how she felt about the incident when she delivered a very frosty reaction on the ABC’s Melbourne Breakfast show
Murphy and Vella have been sliding badly in the ratings this year, falling twice in March and April
‘For those of you who listened to the show yesterday, or have woken up to a story in the newspaper that refers to an inappropriate comment I made yesterday, I think I need to address that publicly to apologise.
‘I did that, insinuated my colleague and co-host Sharnelle worked at Spearmint Rhino, a well-known strip club.
‘Cutting straight to the point, it was not just a mistake, it was a gross and inaccurate off-hand quip.
‘I promised Sharnelle that I’d never disrespect her and I did break that promise.
‘Put simply, I’m really sorry.’
Vella, though, issued a frosty response in return.
‘Look, I won’t let you off the hook on it. It wasn’t OK,’ she said.
‘I appreciate your words, but we do move on.’
Murphy was a respected player during his footy career, making 312 appearances for the Western Bulldogs
McKnight has highlighted this exchange as a key point in ascertaining that the broadcasters ‘do not have on-air chemistry’.
He believes the duo now cannot recover from the moment, adding that Vella has ‘absolutely every right to call her co-host out, but it’s the way you do it that reveals so much about the working relationship between two people’.
‘At the time he made the joke, she could have easily put him in his place with a joke, something like: “Are you right there, mate? Are you calling me a stripper”.’
McKnight even suggested that the interaction between the pair of radio hosts could have led to phone-ins from listeners to discuss what might be appropriate to say to colleagues when it comes to work.
McKnight has worked in the broadcasting industry since 1995, and has held multiple roles as a producer, executive producer with Channel 7, Channel Nine and Network Ten.
‘Vella’s reaction wouldn’t be a problem in any other workplace, but an on-air team is supposed to make the audience feel comfortable.
‘We’re supposed to believe they really like each other, despite what the truth might be. I have no idea if they are friends off air, I’m simply talking about the perception of their relationship.’
Murphy (right) was also employed by Fremantle as their head of football operations back in 2021, before taking up a role with ABC earlier this year
McKnight also added that Murphy will now be more reluctant to joke or have banter with Vella following the incident.
‘It’s very easy to see that he will limp along, ratings will fall, and eventually she will be paired up with a new co-host. The damage is done and now it’s just a matter of time before he – or the whole show – is cancelled.
‘The way this was handled doesn’t do either of them any favours.’
Daily Mail Australia has approached the ABC for comment.
Murphy enjoyed a distinguished footy career, joining the Bulldogs in the 1999 National Draft.
He’d go on to make 312 appearances, scoring 183 goals during that time, before hanging up his boots in 2017.
The former defender, who could also step up into the midfield, was highly respected as a player, captaining the side between 2015 and 2017 and notably claimed two All-Australian jackets.
After hanging up his boots, Murphy stepped into working in the media.
The two-time All-Australian was criticised earlier this year for being ‘woke’ after he referred to the AFL as the AFLM
He has written columns for The Age and has been included as a regular panellist on the show AFL 360 on Fox.
He also has held other roles in radio, notably joining up with Andy Maher for 1116 SEN’s late afternoon drive show back in 2019 but would quit his work in broadcasting to move to Perth in 2021, where he became Fremantle’s head of football operations and performance.
Despite that, he’d return to Melbourne and take up his new role with Vella on ABC’s breakfast show but things have been a little bumpy for Murphy since joining the show.
Ratings at the breakfast show began to dip in March, sliding from 7.9 per cent to 6.3 per cent.
They would then slump again in April, falling to 5.6 per cent.
Murphy had also been hit with criticism earlier this year by a rival presenter for being ‘woke’.
Murphy had referred to the men’s top-flight Australian rules football competition as the ‘AFLM’.
Tom Elliott of 3AW slammed him over the call.
‘In America, you have the NBA and then the WNBA, that works fine,’ Elliott said.
‘I think he [Murphy] is the only person who does this. He persists in calling the AFL the AFLM … that is wokeness.’
Murphy had also slammed ex-Bulldogs team-mate Jason Akermanis in 2023 over a discussion on whether footballers should come out as gay.
Akermanis was suspended by the Bulldogs after writing in a newspaper column that it would be too controversial for a player to come out as gay. ‘Stay in the closet,’ he wrote.
During an episode of the ‘Four Corners’ podcast, Murphy was ‘disgusted’, ’embarrassed’ and ‘hurt’ by Akermanis’ comments.
In the history of the AFL, no player has ever come out as openly gay.
