Former AFL star turned ABC radio host Bob Murphy has made a grovelling apology for insinuating that his female co-host once worked at a strip club – only to have her return serve with a very blunt and frosty reaction, telling him, ‘It’s not OK.’
Murphy made the shocking comment on Wednesday’s instalment of the broadcaster’s Melbourne Breakfast program.
He and co-host Sharnelle Vella were interviewing Elinor Kasapidis from Certified Practising Accountants Australia on getting the right financial advice when Vella said, ‘I remember when I worked in retail many moons ago when I was still in high school…’
Murphy quickly interjected with: ‘Not at Spearmint Rhino?’, referring to a well-known Melbourne strip club.
The former Western Bulldogs star began Thursday’s program by trying to extend an olive branch to Vella.
‘I think it’d be pertinent from my point of view to start with some news that came out of this studio,’ he began.
Bob Murphy issued a grovelling apology to his co-host Sharnelle Vella (pictured together) on Thursday, one day after insinuating she worked at a strip club live on air
Murphy admitted he had broken a promise he made to Vella with the awful remark
‘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 here 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’s reply was stony and very frank.
‘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.’
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
Daily Mail Australia has approached the ABC for comment, and does not insinuate that Vella has ever worked in a strip club.
Murphy, who was a highly respected footy player and two-time All-Australian, has had a bumpy start to the year in his new role, with the breakfast show’s ratings dipping from a 7.9 per cent audience share to 6.3 per cent in March.
Another dip to just 5.6 per cent followed in April.
Earlier this year, the 42-year-old Bulldogs great was criticised by rival radio presenter Tom Elliott for being ‘woke’ after he used the term ‘AFLM’ to describe the men’s top-flight Australian Rules football competition.
‘Does anybody else honestly want to call the AFL the AFLM?,’ Elliott said on 3AW Mornings.
‘In America, you have the NBA and then the WNBA, that works fine.
‘I think he [Murphy] is the only person who does this. He persists in calling the AFL the AFLM … that is wokeness.’
Back in 2023, Murphy hit out at former Bulldogs team-mate Jason Akermanis regarding a difference of opinion on whether footy stars should come out as gay.
Akermanis was suspended by the Bulldogs and later delisted in 2010 after writing in a newspaper column that a player coming out as gay would be too controversial for the league, writing: ‘Stay in the closet’.
Murphy (pictured announcing his retirement in 2017) was a highly respected footy star who has developed a reputation for being super-woke
Murphy reflected on the controversy in an episode of ABC’s ‘Four Corners’ podcast.
He said he was ‘disgusted’, ’embarrassed’ and ‘hurt’ by Akermanis’s comments.
Akermanis later stood by his comment, branding Murphy a ‘sook’ and a ‘complete myth’.
In the history of the Australian football league, no player has ever come out as openly gay.
Murphy, meanwhile, said any player to do so would be backed by players and the AFL in an empassioned statement.
‘You will be fought for and supported,’ the former Bulldogs captain said.
‘If there is a dissenting voice, they will be told to shut the f*** up or get out.’
