Marty Sheargold faced intense scrutiny during his first televised interview since being dismissed from Triple M in February 2025. The 54-year-old former radio presenter was removed from the network following widespread backlash over sexist remarks he made about the Australian women's national soccer team, known as the Matildas. He further inflamed the situation by controversially suggesting that endometriosis was not a genuine medical condition.
Confrontational Interview on A Current Affair
Twelve months after the initial controversy, Sheargold appeared on the popular Australian program A Current Affair. Host Allison Langdon did not hold back in her introduction, delivering a pointed critique of the former broadcaster's behavior. Langdon stated unequivocally that "one seriously sexist and offensive joke ended it all," referring to Sheargold's once-thriving radio career.
"Marty Sheargold's crude sledge of our national women's soccer team offended many people - me included," Langdon declared during her opening segment. Despite this public dressing down, Sheargold showed little inclination toward offering a broader apology during his conversation with interviewer Steve Marshall.
Limited Apology and Defiant Stance
When Marshall questioned whether Sheargold's initial public apology had been sincere, the former presenter offered a qualified response. "To that playing group and the extended group of the Matildas? Yeah, I apologise," Sheargold conceded. However, he quickly added, "But to people that are offended by that on the outside of that group. Come on."
Sheargold acknowledged that his comments were "not funny" but maintained he did not regret the remarks themselves. Instead, he expressed regret over the consequences that followed, particularly how the fallout affected his long-term partner Ang and their two daughters.
"The comment itself? No. The fallout from it? Yeah," Sheargold explained. "For not only me, but for the team that I was working in for their reputations, you know, for the company and for the kids."
Career Consequences and Personal Impact
The former broadcaster elaborated on his personal regrets, stating, "If I had any regrets, it would be the exit from the business. And also personally, the effect it had on the kids for them to have their dad be cancelled, as it were. That's not a real badge of honour when you're wandering around the playground."
Despite understanding why people took offense, Sheargold doubled down on his controversial perspective regarding women's sports. "I get why people are offended. You've got to be careful when you're taking pot shots at sport, women's sport particularly," he said. "I want young kids to dream and aspire to be part of those kind of things. I just don't want to pay for a ticket and go and watch it myself."
Attempting a Career Revival
Now pursuing a career in stand-up comedy, Sheargold claimed to have received substantial support from women following the controversy. "I've had women stop me in the street and say, you know, I felt like we'd been bundled into this big collective and cohort of people that don't have a sense of humour," he revealed.
The comedian, who previously starred in the multiple Logie-winning ABC comedy series Fisk, defended his radio persona as merely performing a character. "When I was in the radio, I was playing the character of Marty Sheargold," he insisted. "People just think you are who you are when you turn up to work. And clearly I'm not sitting at home telling my two daughters that endometriosis isn't real."
The Original Controversial Comments
The incident that sparked Sheargold's dismissal occurred during The Marty Sheargold Show in February 2024, shortly after the Matildas lost 2-1 to the USA in the SheBelieves Cup. When co-host Troy Ellis raised the topic of the national team, Sheargold offered his controversial assessment.
"You know what they remind me of? Year 10 girls... All the infighting and all the friendship issues, 'the coach hates me and I hate bloody training, and Michelle's being a b***h'," Sheargold remarked at the time.
When the conversation shifted to Australia hosting the women's Asian Cup, Sheargold added, "Oh God. The Asian Cup. I'd rather hammer a nail through the head of my p***s than watch that. Got any men's sport?"
Following the resulting public outcry, Southern Cross Austereo announced they had "mutually agreed" to part ways with Sheargold, effectively ending his tenure at Triple M and sparking the career crisis that led to his recent television appearance.
