Matthew Johns delivers big TV ratings for Nine’s ACA as Gruen fans head online

Matthew Johns provided one last service for Nine last night, helping A Current Affair to a 1.4m TV audience with his confessional interview.  

The disgraced former Footy Show regular’s interview with Tracy Grimshaw – in which he discussed his group sex episode – was the fourth most watched TV show of the night, according to preliminary ratings from OzTam.

According to The Australian, the hard-hitting interview was a triumph for Grimshaw.

Despite the show, Nine failed to win the night in what has been a dismal ratings week for the network which has been dragged down by the poor performance of its big hope Home Made.

Meanwhile, last night’s controversial Gruen Transfer episode aired to an audience of just over 1.2m. Afterwards, fans flocked to a website to discuss the anti fat discrimination ad that the ABC would not air. By this morning, the site had already received more than 500 comments, with a majority arguing in favour of the ad.

Meanwhile, Ten’s only show in the top 15 most watched was MasterChef Australia, which saw the contestants divided into two teams for an Apprentice-style episode. It rated nearly 1.2m.

Seven – driven by Thank God You’re Here – won the night with a 28.3% share, followed by Nine with 27.1% and Ten a long way back on 20.9%. The ABC was on 18.1% and SBS on 5.1%

Wednesday’s top 10 TV shows:

  1. Thank God You’re Here – Seven 1.6m
  2. Seven News – Seven 1.5m
  3. Spicks and Specks – ABC 1.4m
  4. A Current Affair – Nine 1.4m
  5. Today Tonight – Seven 1.4m
  6. Nine News – Nine 1.3m
  7. The Gruen Transfer – ABC 1.2m
  8. Criminal Minds – Seven 1.2m
  9. Two and a Half Men – Nine 1.2m
  10. MasterChef – Ten 1.2m

May 14th, 2009 at 10:35 am

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Comments


  1. Scott Pettet
    14 May 09
    12:57 pm

    2. I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but does anyone else find the whole Channel 9 / John’s thing a bit fishy? I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back with the network in six months. In the meantime they’ve got a nice little ratings boost with their ‘exclusive’. Only Nine could ‘bone’ one of their own and turn it into a ratings winner. Maybe they should fire a few other people?!

  2. Dicken
    14 May 09
    2:09 pm

    3. Scott, agree completely.

    He was not sacked, but suspended indefinitely (which could mean not for long), and the Grimshaw interview was far from a triumph, she gave him every opportunity to answer all the major criticisms, and did not at any point pick him up on the assertion that ‘she wanted it’ – the truth of which we will never know, but is hardly the point.

    Instead, he has looked apologetic, had enough carefully styled ‘hard’ questions put to him, is off for an unexpected holiday and back in the spring.

    The ‘Bone Her’ club are closing ranks, hardly surprising really given previous behaviour.

  3. Cindi
    14 May 09
    3:13 pm

    4. who cares what happened 7 years ago. mr and mrs johns have patched up their relationship, why bring it back up. i think that channel 9 are just looking for better ratings

  4. Barbara Airs
    14 May 09
    7:31 pm

    5. Well, I hope that every one involved with this “story “is/are prepared to accept the conseqences of what this may bring ! Seven years and now it it is brought up again. LET IT BE !
    I am a 60 year old woman & been “around the traps” and if it was not rape ,(which it wasn’t) then she was as much to blame as the men! My bet is that MONEY speaks a lot languages. KIWI or AUSSIE ! It is all dollars. Tracey….YOU were very biased ! Thought you were better than then this S…! I am great beleiver in NO means No but this was NOT the case here.

  5. Sue
    14 May 09
    9:32 pm

    6. It is not a matter of the girl giving consent or not. It is a matter of men being hailed as role models and heroes, being paid a large amount of money as professionals behaving like thugs. Johns apologised to the girl in the car park, he felt guilty all these years, he waited for the phone call. That is not the actions of an ‘innocent’ man. The central issue is that high profile, well paid sportsmen (i haven’t heard of sportswomen behaving like this but i stand corrected if it has happened) claiming the right to behave as they see fit regardless of society’s expectations. Shane Warne, Wayne Carey, Ben Cousins, and the master of them all Sam Newman and countless others who believe they are above everybody else, that they don’t have to behave with basic respect. Yet, they roll out the excuses when they are caught.
    Not surprisingly, Johns’ cohorts do not have the decency or integrity to stand up and admit their part in the act or to support Johns. They are hiding like the pathetic cowards they are.
    How many other sportsmen have behaved like this and it has been concealed by the powers of sports clubs and television stations so they don’t lose their star players and revenue. It is a conspiracy, alright, a conspiracy against decency

  6. George Black
    14 May 09
    10:07 pm

    7. When did group sex become the domain of the thug?

    Rape and criminal offences – yes. Consensual sex between adults – no.

    What the hell has Shane Warne got to do with this? He cheated on his wife, granted – and there’s nothing good in that. But, you are inferring he’s committed a crime or similar for what? Enjoying a bit of action with a some girls at (OMG I can’t believe it) the same time.

    Let’s give the thugs hell, but let’s be clear as to who the thugs actually are. A thug isn’t someone who’s shagging your wife. Yes, he’s an asshole, but not a thug.

  7. rosi
    15 May 09
    12:26 am

    8. the problem is , is that I do not know wether the programme has ripped me off or not ! If Tracey would like to be taken seriously then I wonder why her angle was so pointy ? I guess every one has their price . I pray that the kid’s can have the attention and love they need at this time and that Matt and his wife and the media can all stop checking out their own belly buttons and focus on their young unwritten lives of the children involved. If the media circus continues then you all fall into the same sad attention seeking issues that the young woman had . give us some news with soul …… PLEASE

  8. Megan Miller
    15 May 09
    9:03 am

    9. I believe Matty Johns should get a fair go, this woman bragged about it to her work mates and it took her 5 days to report it. What is this womans backround? Why leave it for seven years? Journalists should get a backround on this woman because I wouldn’t be suprised that she has financial problems maybe related to Drug, Alcohol, or gambling. I take my hat off to Matty’s wife for standing by her husband. Matty shouldn’t be punished he is a well respected person through out Australia and has been a big success on the footy show. It peeves me that the footy players become a target for all sorts of scandals, its not only in the NRL it happens in all sports. I hope this doesn’t effect the NRL as it is an awesome game. It was wrong what this woman has done and I know that you are getting a mixed bag of comments but the footy players will have to watch out as they can easily get set up.

  9. Lindy Outteridge
    15 May 09
    4:34 pm

    10. After seven years, all a person could believe is that MONEY must be the incentive for this news report on ‘a young woman and casual sex with football players’. There are seemingly attacks on Matthew Johns for his part in this incident, and only his name and, his family have been dragged down and out (with what seems to be much support for the Johns camp, from folk in both Australia and New Zealand.
    Yes, people who stand out in a crowd are going to be targetted again and again. Why is this such a big news item? Why, when there are judges who drink and drive (and get a slap on the wrist), when politicians can drink, dance on tables, slap each other about, and goodness knows what else. When preachers from different denominations can abuse and molest children. Yes, they may well have their day in court, and, yes, they may also have a small punishment, even with their name splattered at some point – in newspapers or on tv.
    Ok, stop all sports officials and players from mixing with the children in schools, stop the religious studies programs in school. Don’t allow anyone but a parent (and many of these folk, can be brutal people or loving family folk) to care for your children. Raise the age of drinking, sexual contact, etc.
    We now live, more than ever, in an age of freedom of choices, promiscurity, drugs, alcohol, abuse and all the other things. And I challenge any one person for being a perfect angel in their life. Everyone person will make a mistake in their life……. some make more than one, but, somehow life goes on.
    Get over the fact that things will never be the perfect world we all wish for ourselves, and realise that whatever happened in the past is now just that – the PAST……. Right or wrong at that time – permission given or brutal attack. Only one person and his family are really suffering the punishment – without any real proof for or against either party – just words!! Yes, there may have been a police report, but, seemingly no case to really answer in the eyes of the law, at that time – 7 years ago!!
    Either all the people concerned should be having their names and lives, families, etc be dragged out for people to pass judgement on, or, for crying out loud. Give this all a rest.
    I’m a Newcastle resident, and I appreciate the Johns brothers (warts and all) – and they haven’t always been good boys, BUT, they have always stepped up and accepted their lot (punishment). Isn’t it time, punishment is over for this guy and his wife, children and their extended family?
    There must be something else happening in the world that the media can focus on?

  10. Sam
    15 May 09
    5:06 pm

    11. Lindy,

    You are right, the past is the past, and it should all be laid to rest. What about these ideas as well:

    1. Get rid of ANZAC day, after all, the past is the past
    2. Tear down all war memorials, after all, the past is the past
    3. Sell of the holocaust museums, after all, the past is the past
    4. Bulldoze Newcastle – it once was a great mining town, but now it is subsidised by other tax payers. Who cares about the people that still work there, after all, the past is the past

    This issue wasn’t about sex, it was about abuse of power. A teenager has sex with half a football team, all of whom were older than her. Do you really think the burden of exercising good judgement lies with her, or the men in the room?

  11. Anonymous
    15 May 09
    6:03 pm

    12. THAT WAS THEN -THIS IS NOW -SHE WAS RIGHT IN IT ,GIVE HER NUTHN TAKE HER NOWHERE-CH.CH LEAGUE SUPPORTER

  12. Lindy Outteridge
    16 May 09
    8:20 am

    13. SAM – you miss the point………….. ANZAC Day, Australia, Newcastle, the world, are all things that have been fought for, in one way or another, and – they were worth fighting for then, and most of people, would consider they be worth fighting all over again.

    When do people take responsibility for THEIR actions, when it comes to sexual ?pleasure/experimentation?, drugs, drinking, driving, having children. The truth is, that the ways of the world have changed – things that were once fought for and believed in, are not so important to many folk. Children are now having children and experimentation with other ‘taboos’ that would rarely have been thought of (yes, they were still happening, but, not to the degree that they have occurred as the years progress). I personally don’t think that much of the progression has been, necessarily a good thing, but, no matter who you are – people make mistakes, errors in judgement.

    My point was – this ‘girl of 19′ was considered a young (adult) woman – who presumably knew her own mind. The men were older, but, we all know that men actually have to be considered younger in their mental ages – which probably puts both the female and male parties on par – age wise. None of us, presumably were involved in this incident at that time, but, supposedly a full police investagion was undertaken. I don’t condone rape, and I couldn’t say that more than one partner at a time would necessarily be all that great, BUT, if this was at all a consentual act – the blame lies with ALL those involved. It has to be wrong to make one of these men (and his family) suffer – when all were consenting adults? Right or wrong – this occurred 7 years ago, and why now, does it need to be the centre of focus in the media. My point, in saying “in the past’, is just that. 7 years ago people consented to an act, and perhaps then and now they regret it.
    Responsi;bility for your actions applied then and still does now !

  13. Sam
    17 May 09
    10:38 pm

    14. I believe this girl was set up for the gang bang.
    It seems clear she went back to the room with 2 men…when she’s naked and at her most vulnerable, she’s suddenly in the company of 12 burly players – that’s a terrifying power dynamic.
    How did those men know to just show up at that room, at that time, and to enter without knocking?
    Why did Johns “stand back” rather than asking them to leave?
    If she was a “willing participant” – why did Johns apologize for the OTHER MEN entering the room? (after the session was over)
    Why has he been concerned over the last 7 years “every time the phone rang”?
    It was all consensual, wasn’t it?
    I think if that girl had been asked to participate in a 2-3 hour gang bang involving 12 men and every degrading act in the book, the answer would have been NO…
    Get her back to the room and just ambush her – hopefully, she’ll be so intimidated and overwhelmed, she’ll go along with it…
    Perhaps, this method of entrapment had been used before…successfully.
    From an evidentiary point of view it’s a disaster for the victim – 12 men say consensual and one girl who admits going back to the room with 2 men, says something else…her word against theirs…
    Just reading the comments this week…it’s clear the old double standard is alive and well – she went back with 2 men, so she’s a slut and whatever happened, it was her fault OR good girls don’t go back to rooms with 2 men, she made a stupid decision so she deserved it, what did she expect…those sorts of comments.
    I disagree…even if you agree to have sex with 2 men, that doesn’t mean consent extends to the whole team.
    This girl probably agreed to have sex with two men, but I doubt she agreed to the gang bang.
    This isn’t group sex either, which is about mutual pleasure – this was a gang bang – domination, power, control, humiliation and degradation.
    Silence, shock, fear, intimidation does not amount to consent.
    I’m not surprised Johns was waiting for his phone to ring…..
    Where are the other players BTW? The silence is deafening…..
    Very brave when they outnumber a naked 19 year old girl 12 to 1, not so brave when they face a nation!

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