On Monday, when New Idea finally published their report on Uber-gate and exactly what Karl Stefanovic said about his fellow colleagues, much of the news cycle centred on his comments about co-host Georgie Gardner.
“He said she didn’t have enough opinions and he wanted her to step up,” the driver told the magazine. “He actually sounded angry and said he was going to start pushing hard and that she needed to do that if she wanted to stay on the show.”
Now, months-old quotes from Georgie Gardner explain exactly why she’s a “fence-sitter”, as Stefanovic put it.
In an interview with Confidential prior to fronting the panel in January, Gardner told News Corp she was wary social media scrutiny was a huge part of the gig.
“There’s a part of me that feels wary because we live in a time now where there is just so much scrutiny,” she said.
Georgie Gardner talks to Mia Freedman on No Filter. Post continues after audio.
“We live in this very weird era of clickbait and I just hope I don’t lose my spontaneity.
“I figure we’re all at risk of saying something that we might … regret or feel ‘oh gosh, I wish I didn’t say that’, but I hope that doesn’t override the genuine side of me and my authenticity.”
On Monday’s program, all eyes were on both Stefanovic and Gardner to see how the hosts would handle the controversy ensnaring the show.
Though they did not address the furore specifically, many believed Gardner threw a thinly-veiled jab at Stefanovic during the show.
After Stefanovic joked about how “menacing” sausage dogs were after a segment on them, Gardner said:
“Well, it’s probably about now I should call you pathetic.”
Given that quote in and of itself made headlines, perhaps it’s little surprise Gardner occasionally catches herself before making outlandish, decisive statements.
Top Comments
So she fence sits because she's afraid of making headlines, being criticised or misconstrued, or attracting attention to herself? Seems a rather strange strategy for someone who has chosen a job that puts her in the public eye. If you wanted to be anonymous, you could have pursued a career that didn't make you famous.
I have a different view of this whole scenario. It reminds me of an aristocratic English home 100 years ago. All kinds of personal things were discussed in front of servants. While most of those servants were loyal and kept the secrets, it's my belief that the upper class felt comfortable discussing their private business because they were barely aware of the servants as people. Many were very good employers but many more treated those beneath them socially as almost less than human.
I believe the Stefanovic brothers regard themselves as superior to humble beings like Uber drivers and therefore feel comfortable that the driver will be so grateful to have the privilege of driving one of them that they can say and do what they wish with impunity. They were wrong!