Shock as ABC News Breakfast host suddenly announces he’s ‘taking a break’ from TV show after having a crack at his own network over its handling of Stan Grant’s trolling ordeal
- ABC News Breakfast host revealed he was ‘taking a break’
- Michael Rowland told viewers his job was a ‘real honour’
- Comes a day after he criticised ABC for ‘failing’ Stan Grant
ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland has announced he’s ‘taking a break’ one day after criticising the public broadcaster for failing Stan Grant.
Rowland made the announcement live on air, telling viewers he was ‘off on a break’ and that it had been ‘a real honour’.
He followed up this with an announcement on Twitter at the end of the breakfast program on Wednesday, saying: ‘Take care and see you soon’.
Rowland earlier this week urged the public broadcaster to be swifter and more effective at calling out racism following Grant’s departure from Q+A.
ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland announced today that he will be taking a break from the show – a day after he criticised the national broadcaster for failing Stan Grant affair

Rowland tweeted on Wednesday morning (pictured) that he would be ‘taking a break’
Grant announced he was taking an indefinite break as host of Q+A last Friday, after he was bombarded by ‘racial filth’ on social media.
Rowland said on Tuesday: ‘It hasn’t just been weeks and months, it’s been years that Stan’s been copping this. Racism is a scourge.
‘We all need to do better and that includes the ABC in calling it out and calling it out more quickly than we have in this country,’ he said.
Mr Rowland’s comments followed an appearance on the program by Ian Hamm, chair of the First Nations Foundation.
‘Stan does his job very well. I think he has taken on the role of poking the bear of Australia where it’s uncomfortable from time to time,’ Mr Hamm said.
‘There is risk with that. The pushback of those who don’t like it and who perhaps want Aboriginal people to be more compliant and pleasant.’

Stan Grant on his last Q+A ‘for a while’ said he felt as though he was part of the problem and wanted to take break to consider how to do better
He added: ‘Stan’s not walking away. He’s just taking a break as anybody should in this circumstance.’
Mr Hamm said this year in particular, with Australians voting on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in November, would bring up lingering tensions.
‘Australia does have race relations problems and all it takes is scratching the surface and some very unpleasant sores can be exposed.’
‘I have great hope for my nation, but I’m also realistic enough to know that this is not an easy journey.
‘He’s not alone and the rest of us are behind him and like him, we’re not walking away. And we intend to pursue the right place for our people in this country.’
Rowland’s announcement this morning prompted another ABC reporter to comment: ‘Hope you’re OK’.
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