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A popular television host considered the “golden boy” of Fox Sports was dumped by his reporter girlfriend after receiving a late-night phone call from a colleague.
Seven News reporter Grace Fitzgibbon was left “devastated and heartbroken” when her boyfriend of three years, Jake Duke, received the call on Saturday morning.
A source close to the couple told Daily Mail Australia that Duke, 30, received the call “in the early hours” from New Zealand-based rugby league reporter Tiffany Salmond.
The late-night call led Fitzgibbon, 31, to end the three-year relationship and leave the couple’s apartment in Freshwater, on Sydney’s northern beaches.
In a move that sparked rumors in television circles, Fitzgibbon briefly posted an image of his possessions piled up in cardboard boxes over the weekend.
Jake Duke and Grace Fitzgibbon’s relationship imploded after he received a late-night phone call from a colleague living in New Zealand.
Tiffany Salmond called Jake Duke ‘in the early hours of Saturday morning’, prompting his girlfriend to end their three-year relationship.
Their split comes just days after the couple adopted a kitten named ‘Muffin’, with Fitzgibbon posting a picture of Duke gingerly petting the feline.
“Finally a momma cat… can’t stop, won’t stop crying,” she captioned the image.
Both Fitzgibbon and Duke declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
Neither Duke nor Fitzgibbon suggest wrongdoing.
Salmond, 26, is a freelance sports reporter who debuted on Fox Sports Australia last September.
Last year he worked alongside Duke during an NRL Warriors match in Auckland. Duke regularly travels to New Zealand to fulfill his NRL appearance commitments.
Auckland-based Salmond last week shared images from a trip to Sydney, including photos of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and dinner on Woolloomooloo Pier.
Salmond is an aspiring sports presenter living in Auckland. Upstairs with Duke on the sidelines
Tiffany Salmond photographed in Sydney last week
Duke and Fitzgibbon, who live together in Freshwater, recently adopted a kitten named Muffin.
“I have a background in journalism, reporting and production, and am passionate about sports broadcasting and rugby league,” his LinkedIn page said.
Duke was named ‘Sports Media Person of the Year’ at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Awards.
He also hosts the podcast Refuse to Lose, a platform for athletes who “use their voice to change the world around them.”
Fitzgibbon is the daughter of Joel Fitzgibbon, a retired Labor leader and former defense and agriculture minister when Kevin Rudd was prime minister.
He previously worked for Nine News and is also a registered marriage celebrant.
Tiffany Salmond has been contacted for comment.