Footy Show apologises for 'fat-shaming' former NRL star
NRL Footy Show host Erin Molan has been forced to apologise to Dave Taylor after her TV program ‘fat-shamed’ the former NRL star.
The ex-Raiders star now plies his trade for the Central Queensland Capras in Queensland’s top league after representing Canberra last season.
Taylor was the subject of ridicule on Molan’s weekly television show after he was named “Gutsy Player of the Week,” in an obvious reference to his weight during a segment on Sunday.
“He was a gun player in his day, wasn’t he?” Molan asked her colleagues before the jokes kicked off.
“What an athlete,” NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler added.
“Well Dave, look, it’s a three-letter word, fit, OK, but it’s very easy to turn the ‘I’ into an ‘a’, that’s all I’m saying – get that ‘a’ back to an ‘I’,” fellow panelist Joel Caine chimed in with.
The unnecessary ridicule was met with a torrent of anger on social media.
@Erin_Molan how would you like to be fat shamed in front of a national audience. You would be kicking and screaming in your heals if someone called you fat. Absolutely disgraceful what was said about Dave Taylor.
— Rohan Pickrell (@rohan_perth) August 13, 2018
@Erin_Molan and the team from @NRLFootyShow, @sundayfootyshow you should be ashamed of yourselves. Dave Taylor is trying to deal with his fitness and at the same time give something back to the game that has given him so much.
— TT (@tony38009) August 13, 2018
imagine if any of what has been said about dave taylor was said about a female athlete! there would be immediate sackings and weeks of public outrage.
— In Brown We Trust 🤲 (@elvey05) August 13, 2018
Molan has since offered her apologies on behalf of the program, insisting the segment was never meant to be offensive.
“(I’m) absolutely appalled by this,” Molan posted.
“Unreservedly apologise on behalf of the show to Dave Taylor. The panel were expecting the vision to show a gun try or a big hit as our gutsy play. There was no malice or intent to offend but that doesn’t matter. We are sorry.”
Many viewers, however, were refusing to buy the excuse offered by the show’s host.
Expecting vision of a gun player? This was not some skit whipped up at 1145am. It was thought out & planned. Be better Erin.
— Mr Ives (@real_MrIves) August 13, 2018
Don’t usually watch the footy show but I did happen to catch this part. My first reaction was I bet they wouldn’t say that if they were talking about one of the women league players. Own your mistake. It happens. Apologise and move forward, don’t and pass the buck
— Daniel Munday (@DanielMunday) August 13, 2018
I usually IQ it and fast forward most of it. I am just not into todays hypocrisy. As you said no chance they ridicule a female origin player & nor should they ever….so i dont think a man should either
— Mr Ives (@real_MrIves) August 13, 2018
I have nothing against you personally Erin but this sort of thing isn’t new from the Sunday or normal Footy Show. They have been making fun of people and laughing at the expense of them for years. Yet somehow, it wins them Logies. Only now it’s suddenly not okay?
— Victoria (@yeahvictoriaaa_) August 13, 2018
Taylor, who has represented Queensland eight times at State of Origin level, has battled weight issues his whole playing career.
After failing to play a single game for the Toronto Wolfpack he signed a two-year deal with the Capras in February.
His extensive NRL career included stints with the Brisbane Broncos, the Gold Coast Titans and the Raiders, as well as a brief stint in the English Super League in 2016.