Tony Armstrong took a parting shot at his network on Friday morning as he hosted his very last show on ABC News Breakfast.
The TV star – widely regarded as the public broadcaster’s golden boy – announced last week he was leaving his role after three years.
But his time at ABC was somewhat marred this week, when Armstrong was called out on his own network for doing voiceovers for insurance company NRMA while working on the program.
Janine Perrett exposed Armstrong’s gig on Media Watch on Monday evening.
During his final show on Friday, his co-stars gave him flowers and a big tin of coffee before Armstrong joked he wouldn’t name the coffee brand.
‘We won’t name the brand… Actually I don’t care, I’ve already been done by Media Watch — Nescafe!’ Armstrong joked.
Earlier in the program, Armstrong said his time with the ABC has been a ‘whirlwind’ before admitting it had been a ‘funny old week’.
‘Mixed feelings. You can tell by my body language, I don’t like talking about myself too much, despite being in a career where I’m in front of a camera,’ he said as bid goodbye to viewers.
Tony Armstrong made a parting shot at the ABC on Friday morning as he hosted his very last show on the ABC News Breakfast
‘It’s been such a whirlwind three years. Believe it or not, I was nervous when I started.’
‘It didn’t last long. But yeah, that wasn’t all that long ago. And yeah, News Breakfast has given me everything, really. It’s given me… It’s given me a joy ride!’
‘I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in today to be able to walk out on my own terms, and into whatever is next,’ Armstrong added.
‘I don’t really know exactly what it is yet… I’m just very thankful to everyone who watches and everyone who said such nice things to me across the course of this week particularly.
‘It’s been a funny old week. But yeah, people have been really, really nice to me.’
Armstrong ended by saying he was going to miss his ‘News Breakfast family’.
The star was called out by the ABC earlier this week with the network’s Media Watch program exposing he has been doing voiceovers for an insurance company while working on its News Breakfast program.
During his final show, Armstrong’s co-stars gave him flowers and a big tin of coffee before Armstrong joked he wouldn’t name the coffee brand
Media critic Perrett revealed on Monday that Armstrong, 34, has been working as the voice of NRMA Insurance ads since July.
Perrett, Media Watch’s stand-in host, said it was ‘astonishing’ that Armstrong had failed to get approval from the broadcaster before landing the new gig.
‘It’s a shame this moonlighting at the expense of the ABC’s integrity is what we’re talking about in his final week on News Breakfast,’ Perrett said.
‘Tony’s arguably one of the ABCs biggest stars,’ she added.
‘He’s not only on the breakfast TV couch, he’s appeared at night on a new sports show. He’s one of many appearing in ABC News promos and is the face of a new five part series.
‘So we were stunned when we got confirmation that Tony was selling an insurance company as well’.
Armstrong also said his time with the ABC has been a ‘whirlwind’ before admitting it had been a ‘funny old week’
The ABC’s Editorial Policy states that any external work by a high-profile presenter isn’t banned, but is considered ‘very high risk’.
The ABC told Media Watch his voiceover work was done without its knowledge and was due to a ‘misunderstanding with Tony’s external representation’.
‘They have been provided a copy of the external work guidelines and reminded all ABC employees are required to meet them. Tony is a high valued employee and has the ABC’s full support,’ the broadcaster said.
A stunned Perrett responded: ‘A misunderstanding?’
‘How any ABC reporter could voice a commercial for one of the biggest brands in Australia and not think that is a conflict, is beyond us.
‘If this is not a breach of the guidelines on external work, which says you must seek approval from above, we don’t know what is’.
Media Watch said Armstrong did not respond to its request for comment.
Armstrong was called out by the ABC on Monday with the network’s Media Watch program exposing he has been doing voiceovers for an insurance company while working on its News Breakfast program
The segment sparked fierce debate on Tuesday morning – even as Armstrong kept mum, not saying a word about the criticism on his own TV show.
KIIS FM radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson defended Armstrong’s decision to work an additional gig while he was at the ABC.
‘Who cares? What is their mantra? Work here and make no money anywhere else,’ Jackie said on KIIS FM’s The Kyle and Jackie O show.
Kyle agreed, adding: ‘Yeah be an a**wipe forever that no one watches on TV… it’s such a miserable joint to work out.’
Armstrong sparked an outpouring of well-wishes from his colleagues when he announced his departure last week.
In a heartfelt statement, he said he hoped that he will be able to return to his show as a guest.
‘I’ve been pretty nervous about doing this,’ Tony confirmed.
Media critic Perrett revealed that Armstrong has been working as the voice of NRMA Insurance ads since July. She said it was ‘astonishing’ that Armstrong had failed to get approval from the broadcaster before landing the new gig
‘I’ve retired from News Brekkie and my last day will be October 4.
‘I just want to thank absolutely everyone – all of you guys, my colleagues, everyone behind the camera, all the producers, all the people who watch as well and come up in the street and say g’day and all that kind of stuff,’ he went on.
‘Um, yeah, it’s been a whirlwind sort of three-and-a-touch years, a lot’s happened, it feels like I’ve been on a bit of a rocket ship, but the support that I’ve got from News Brekkie and news in general has been amazing.
‘Huge thank you, I’m going to miss the couch – I’m not going to miss the alarm, but I’ll miss the couch – I’ve had such a ball.’
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