News

Melissa Doyle hits back at ‘fictional stories’

mel doyle

Mel Doyle

Melissa Doyle has hit back at media reports about her departure from Seven’s Sunrise, labelling suggestions that she was forced to leave the show and take a pay cut of around $150,000 a year are just “fictional stories”.

In a column in The Daily Telegraph columnist Annette Sharp said Doyle was given a “non-negotiable offer” and that her departure would be announced as a promotion in the news department despite a $150,000 paycut.

While Seven’s plans for Doyle have not yet been confirmed Sharp reported that Seven bosses want her to front the 4.30pm Seven Afternoon News bulletin and potentially join Matt White on the evening news bulletin on digital channel 7Two.

However when Doyle tearfully announced her departure on June 20 she said it was to take up an “incredible new opportunity” at Seven and she stands by her statement.

In a message on the Seven Sunrise website Doyle wrote: “I’m still on holidays before completing a couple of overseas work assignments but it seems the rumour mill has been working overtime. I don’t normally bother responding to fictional stories but judging by the number of comments I’ve received I thought it best to reply.

“What I said on air and in all the media interviews when I announced my departure was correct. It was then, it is now.

“Obviously you can’t stop people making up stories and that seems to be what is happening now.”

Rather than taking a “strategic family holiday to the US”, as Sharp claimed in her column, Doyle said her holiday had been planned since April to attend a 50th birthday party.

“This was not a hastily planned getaway,” she said. “In that context I decided I wanted to announced my departure from Sunrise before I went on leave. The network supported my decision to do so. I wanted to ensure our viewers heard it from me and that it didn’t leak out.”

The Herald Sun reports claims from a television insider that Doyle’s departure from Sunrise and plans to replace her with the younger Samantha Armytage followed audience research that defined her as old fashioned. The move was an attempt to “rejuvenate” the program in a pre-emptive move to the launch of former producer Adam Boland’s new breakfast program on Ten, the source claimed.

“I was presented with a new opportunity at the network and I decided to accept it,” writes Doyle.

“Of course I will be sad to leave the Sunrise couch, but I’m also excited and happy about my new challenge. I know the conspiracy theorists would like you to believe otherwise, but it’s just not true.”

Research conducted for the Encore Score shows that Doyle while popular in News South Wales struggles in both the Queensland and Victorian markets.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.