Yesterday evening, we reported that former Sunrise producer Adam Boland had rush-released a tell-all memoir about his time behind the scenes in breakfast television. The book came out in defiance of a court order from his former employer Channel Seven, who demanded to see the manuscript for Brekky Central ahead of publication.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Seven have since dropped their court order, saying that they have read the book and are satisfied that there is “nothing in it” that worries them … that may be the case, but it turns out Boland has dropped a hell of a lot of hilarious truth bombs about his former colleagues.
For instance, the “legendary” feud between Seven personalities Chris Bath and Samantha Armytage was just as dramatic as you imagined. According to the book, Sam referred to her colleague as ‘Bath Vader’, and at one point, a news director had to “intervene” to cool the tension when both showed up to a promo shoot wearing similar outfits.
The book also reveals the details behind co-host Mel Doyle‘s emotional departure from Sunrise – allegedly, because she was too passive. Research showed that fans of rival breakfast show Today liked the way that Lisa Wilkinson stood up to co-host Karl Stefanovic, and Seven, deciding that Kochie was “untouchable”, set about replacing Doyle.
More interestingly, the book revealed years of bad blood between Sunrise host David Koch and former Prime Minister John Howard. The story goes that Koch told an off-colour joke involving Howard’s wife Jeanette and former opposition leader Kim Beazley. Seven’s owner Kerry Stokes was livid, and ordered Koch to write an apology letter, but this never happened.
According to Brekky Central, Howard still refuses to speak to Koch if they are seated nearby at functions. “I suspect the joke is only part of the reason,” Boland says in the book, going on to speculate that “the former Prime Minister is only too aware of the role Sunrise played in the rise of Kevin Rudd.”
The book also dishes the dirt on Rudd, who allegedly threw a fit when he was woken up by a rooster during a trip to the Kokoda Track for a Sunrise special episode. “Someone fucking shut that fucking rooster up or I will fucking shoot it!” the former Prime Minister, clearly not a morning person, shouted to angrily.
The digital edition of Brekky Central is out now, with the physical version expected to hit shelves tomorrow.
Image via News Limited
