TV veterans Sharyn Ghidella and Paul Burt have opened up to each other after both were axed from Channel Seven.
The Queensland presenters were sacked from 7News this month and have since expressed support for each other while launching scathing attacks on the network.
Meteorologist Burt was eliminated from the show last week, while Ghidella was fired earlier this month after nearly four decades in the news industry.
Burt’s colleague and host Ghidella shared an emotional message on his latest Instagram post announcing his latest fishing adventure, as part of his TV series Step Outside with Paul Burt.
—Burty, I wish you the best in what lies ahead. You are very good at what you do… I’m sure there are many exciting adventures ahead for you. Good luck, although you won’t need it at all. I bet you’re already getting offers. Xx —she commented.
In his response, Burt praised Ghidella’s hard work after being the face of Seven News in Queensland since 2007.
“Thank you Sharyn, I can say the same about you my friend, who would have thought?” he began.
“This salty old sea dog barely compares to the icon that you are. I know I’ve told you this many times before, but honestly, they really lost a lot when they let you go. Your passion and genuine love for what you do shone through, you are a legend in the game and you didn’t deserve this.”
TV veterans Sharyn Ghidella (right) and Paul Burt (left) have opened up to each other after they were both sacked from Channel Seven.
“I’m grateful to be able to call you a friend as we navigate new chapters together,” Burt concluded.
While Ghidella retired from television screens earlier this month, she recently revealed her next step in her career.
The 58-year-old man told the mail She will take time off for a few weeks to “rest and reset” before deciding on her future and will continue her work with charitable ambassadors such as her role on the board of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation.
Burt hosted his final weather segment on Saturday and took a swipe at the network during his farewell.
“If I had had the opportunity, I wouldn’t have wanted to go down this path. That’s what happens when you get fired,” he said at the end of the 6:00 p.m. newscast.
Burt’s colleague and host Ghidella shared an emotional message in his latest Instagram post announcing his latest fishing adventure.
The newsletter then awkwardly transitioned into a montage of Paul introducing segments throughout the years.
He has worked for Ten, Nine and Seven during his extensive media career.
Meanwhile, Ghidella confirmed the news of his job loss in A hot post on Facebook.
She said her “tap on the shoulder” finally came while she was in the salon, admitting it was something of a “relief” after several anxious weeks over media job cuts.
But she was determined not to go quietly and criticised the ailing network for prioritising gimmicks like astrological readings over retaining veteran talent.
“When you work in television for as long as I have, not a day goes by that you don’t expect a tap on the shoulder… After 38 years, I finally got a tap on the shoulder,” Ghidella began.
Paul Burt hosted his final weather segment on Saturday and criticized the network during his farewell.
‘It wasn’t exactly how I expected it to end up at Channel Seven.
‘I was sitting in the salon for work when I got a call telling me that after 17 years at the chain, my time was up.’
Ghidella later said her recent time at the network had been “miserable” and that she was glad to be walking out the door.
“While I am a little saddened by this decision, I also feel a certain relief. As has been widely reported, the past two weeks on television have sadly been a miserable affair,” he wrote.
‘A long list of talented, loyal and dedicated employees have been shown the door, in what seems to have been a never-ending process of slowly ripping off the band-aid when it comes to removing what has been deemed excess stock.
“These people are some of the best content creators in the industry. They’re good people and it’s been heartbreaking to watch.”
Ghidella added that he was not happy with the rebranding of the network’s news programming, which will see comedian Mark Humphries doing a comedy sketch at 6:57pm tonight, and ‘Astro Tash’ starting an astrology report next week.
“I’m also not one to like the evening news with humor and horoscopes, so to be honest, it’s time for me to go,” Ghidella joked.
“As I often say, the caravan moves on. There is certainly still a lot of talent in the team and I wish them all the best for the future.”
He ended his post by bluntly thanking the many friends he had made throughout his long career at the network.
Ghidella said her recent time at the network had been “miserable” and she was glad to be walking out the door.
‘I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has made this possible so far, including previous employers such as the Stokes, Packer and Gleeson families and the news directors, executive producers and station managers who saw fit to give a young boy from Babinda (in rural Queensland) a chance. I owe them a lot.
“Then there are the viewers… You will never know how much your generosity and support means to you. What a privilege it is to be welcomed into your homes to bring you the news of the day,” he added.
There has been a bloodbath at Seven in the wake of cost cuts as the broadcaster’s news division comes under new management.
Three big names to have recently appeared on the network include veterans Robert Ovadia, Andrew Frampton and seasoned Melbourne crime reporter Cameron Baud, known to friends as the “Reaper of Sorrows” for his grim reporting.
On the Sydney front, Ovadia – perhaps the most high-profile figure in all the dismissals until Ghidella’s – has announced he will take Seven to the Fair Work Commission for unfair dismissal.
Daily Mail Australia has revealed that Ovadia allegedly sent a series of bizarre and manipulated images to a young female journalist before he was dumped.