Matthew Matty Johns plans Channel Seven comeback
Matthew Matty Johns plans Channel Seven comebackDaily TelegraphJohns was sin-binned in disgrace and parted with Channel Nine and The Footy Show for his role in a 2002
Cronulla Sharks group-sex scandal in New Zealand.
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Matthew Matty Johns plans Channel Seven comeback
By Phil Rothfield
February 14, 2010 12:00AM
MATTHEW Johns has admitted he will tone down much of his sexually based humour when he returns to prime-time television with his new rugby league-based variety show on Channel Seven in three weeks.
In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Johns spoke at length about how he tackled his demons during an eight-month sabbatical from the limelight as he and his family coped with the fallout from the Cronulla Sharks sex scandal.
He confirmed his character Reg Reagan, which relied on sexual innuendo for laughs, would not return and was "in retirement in Cessnock".
Among revelations given by Johns in an open and frank interview was news the show would air on Thursday nights at 7.30pm.
It's an aggressive move by Seven boss David Leckie to steal Channel Nine's Footy Show audience before it airs in the traditional 9.30pm slot.
Johns was sin-binned in disgrace and parted with Channel Nine and The Footy Show for his role in a 2002 Cronulla Sharks group-sex scandal in New Zealand.
His image was battered when ABC television's Four Corners interviewed the woman victim who was in a suicidal state almost a decade after the incident.
Johns concedes he has "no idea" whether the public has forgiven him but he has thrown himself into 12- to 15-hour-long working days to prepare for the launch of the show he has undertaken in a business venture with his madcap mate, advertising guru John Singleton.
Attracting a female audience"DURING my time out I had the chance to look back on a few things," Johns says.
"Bit silly, bit stupid. Funny, but probably not necessary. Shouldn't have done this, shouldn't have done that. That was dumb, that was stupid.
"I've assessed all that - I've had a lot of time to think about it.
"Look, the show has got to be fun. It's got to be entertaining, but there's going to be some really serious football elements, as well.
"At the end of the day, I still like having a good time.
"I'm just going to be smarter about how I do it.
"I can reveal Reg Reagan's been sent to a better place.
"He's in Cessnock."
His image
When the Four Corners story broke, Nine's switchboard went into meltdown. Many women wanted him sacked on the spot.
Gradually, the public's attitude changed, but has he been forgiven?
"I don't know; I don't know; I don't know," Johns says.
"I walk past people sometimes and they sort of look and say hello, and I think: I'd love to know what they're thinking.
"It's really something I can't control whether people have forgiven me or not. It's like me and my wife worrying about going out and doing the shopping together.
"At the end of the day, you've just gotta pick up the fowl, buy the groceries and get on with it."
New boss David Leckie
Ten minutes into the interview in Channel Seven's boardroom at Pyrmont, Leckie marches in, puts a sheet of paper in front of Johns and takes a seat at the table.
It's all the titles and circulation figures of Channel Seven's glossy magazine division.
Pardon the language, but Leckie lets fly. "Look at this Matty," he says, "The circulation of all these are getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And I run them all. Take them home with you. Seriously it's very important. We're going to promote the s*** out of this f***ing show. We've gotta let people know how good it's going to be.
"I want a couple of million a night. It's the truth. That's what I'm hoping for. I've known Matthew on and off for over 10 years and I've known (John) Singleton since I was born. I personally think there's a big hole for a show like this and we're putting it in a great timeslot.
"We're having an argument about the name. Singo rang me 10 minutes ago about the name. I told him to f*** off - it's my network.
"We're having a meeting next week in my boardroom about the name. We'll have a pie and peas, some beer and a wine and work out a name. We might name it after Matthew. He's the show, but I don't know if it puts him under too much pressure.
"It will be one of the most creative moves we've made. We're in very good shape at this network. OK, the Cougar Town, it's a s*** show but we promote it and we get nearly 1.4 million watching it.
"If we can promote Cougar Town, we can promote Matthew Johns. At that time of night (Thursday at 7.30pm) we're against Getaway that has been there (at Nine) since I started - 15 years. It's a nice little program and The Biggest Loser is on Ten at the moment. By the time Matthew goes to air I'm not sure what Ten will have, the ABC have (Kerry) O'Brien. Matthew will do great."
Has Leckie been to any focus groups to test Johns' image?
"No, on my kids' lives, I didn't," he says. "We're just doing it 100 per cent. We've got to be attracting women at that time of night and we can't just brush it all over.
"I look at it this way: Matthew in my view is an outstanding television talent and, my God, we're very happy he's here. We've got Kyle Sandilands as well. So, f***ing hell, do you think I'm worried about Matthew? Kyle. He's on fire!
"Seriously, Matthew Johns is an incredibly creative and talented individual. When it comes to blending sport and TV entertainment, in my mind, there are few of equal ability."
On doing business with Singo
Soon after Johns parted with Nine, Singleton phoned him. But he was in no mood to talk business. He'd stopped taking phone calls, even from his closest mates. Most days were spent lying about on the couch.
Singleton eventually managed to talk him around.
"He grabbed me and said: 'What do you want to do with your life? Here's an opportunity,' " Johns says. "He believed when I was at Nine I was starting to get lazy and complacent. He said: 'You can go back into that and your comfort zone or you can take a chance, take a few risks and start something from the bottom up and try to make it great.' And now we're in this show together."The show
"Rugby league is going to be the spine of the show. It's going to be variety and it's going to be entertainment," Johns says.
"But it's a hard ask. People have been critical of The Footy Show on Nine. It's hard to bring in the bread and butter rugby league fans as well as the people who are just interested bystanders who want the lighter entertainment.
"We're working on a Controversy Corner segment like the old days. I want to go for a walk down in Manly and try to bump into Rex Mossop. I grew up watching Rex, Ferris Ashton, "Ned" Kelly and those blokes. I've got some of my producers watching some old episodes of Controversy Corner."
The talent
Johns says he'll have a rotation of NRL stars as guests. But he's working hard to secure Shane Webcke, the former Broncos and Kangaroos forward who is one of the most respected and level voices in the game.
"I'm working hard on Webcke. I've got him about to second base," Johns says. "He's got a pretty monumental workload. He's reading news in Brisbane and he's got a lot of corporate stuff with the Broncos.
"He needed certain assurances from me, what the show was going to be about. The thing I like about Webcke is that he's brutally honest. I had a meeting with him. He looked me straight in the eye and said a few of things I've done on TV have done little for the image of the game.
"He said he doesn't want to be associated with that."
The crisis and the victim
"Everyone in their life has difficult times," Johns says. "I'm not going to over-dramatise what I had going on, but the one thing when I look back on that time is that I pointed the finger at nobody but myself. I never reached for the top drawer of excuses."
Did he suffer from serious depression during the fallout?
"I don't know how I was," he says. "They never diagnosed me or gave me any medication. I think, like every person, I was pretty down. I had the s****, sitting on the couch a lot without a lot of motivation.
"And as for the young girl who appeared in the show ... my wish is that she's doing well ... that she's doing really well."
