Nine’s Sunday Footy show cops flak for failing to finally add a female host to replace 23-year veteran Billy Brownless
- Nine’s Sunday Footy show has copped flak for its lack of female representation
- Channel 9 have chosen not to replace Billy Brownless with a female presenter
- Alicia Muling has been roped in to report on breaking news stories on the show
- Viewers took to Twitter to hit out at the flagship show over its diversity issue
Channel 9 have come under fire after its flagship Sunday Footy show chose not to add a female presence to its panel following the departure of Billy Brownless.
Brownless, 55, left the show last season after a 23-year stint on the panel and chiefs have decided to shrink their line-up – with Tony Jones hosting with Matthew Lloyd, Nathan Brown, Kane Cornes and Damian Barrett.
Alicia Muling has been roped in to report on breaking news stories, but the panel remains male-dominated, leading to backlash against Channel 9.
Nine’s Sunday Footy Show has copped criticism for failing to introduce a female presenter
Instead of replacing Billy Brownless (third from left) with a female pundit, the show has opted to leave his position vacant and run with a panel of five
The broadcaster decided to shrink its panel rather than replace Billy Brownless (left) this year
Viewers have long discussed the show’s lack of diversity and the conversation reared its head on social media this week, with some social media users expressing little surprise in the glaring omission.
Comedian Em Rusciano replied to a tweet showcasing the Sunday Footy line-up, saying: ‘#Diversity’.
‘That’s about as diverse as Aussie Rules gets,’ another viewer said.
Viewers took to Twitter to express their disappointment in the broadcaster’s omission
‘They still don’t get it’ one Twitter user said, while another said in response to the show’s 30th anniversary: ‘Celebrating 3 decades of white men talking about football.’
Broadcasters have sought to add more female voices in the television studio and the growth of the AFLW has helped immeasurably in helping shift the balance.
Channel 7 provide free-to-air coverage of the AFL and boast the likes of Daisy Pearce, Erin Phillips, Abbey Holmes, Abbey Gelmi and Jacqui Felgate among their pool of pundits and presenters.