An ABC Radio host and former footy star has shocked listeners after he appeared to make a sexually charged comment about his female co-host live on air.

Former Western Bulldogs star Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy, aged 42, had been presenting his breakfast show alongside award-winning reporter and co-host Sharnelle Vella when the comment was made.

It comes after the duo began hosting the show in January 2025, after Sammy J (Samuel McMillan) announced he would be parting company with ABC.

On Wednesday, Murphy and Vella had been discussing the subject of the importance of seeking financial and tax advice from registered professionals instead of using information from social media influencers online.

They welcomed Elinor Kasapidis, Chief of Policy, Standards & External Affairs at CPA Australia, on to the show to speak about the matter. 

After a lengthy discussion on the topic, Vella began to make a point about how some people may be unable to afford professional financial advice and may look to social media for guidance on filing tax returns on their own.

ABC radio star Robert Murphy (right) shocked fans on Wednesday with a comment he made to his co-host Sharnelle Vella (left) on a live broadcast

ABC radio star Robert Murphy (right) shocked fans on Wednesday with a comment he made to his co-host Sharnelle Vella (left) on a live broadcast 

Sharnelle (left) had mentioned that her first job had been in retail during a discussion on tax and personal finance, but Murphy had responded, stating: 'Not at Spearmint Rhino?'

Sharnelle (left) had mentioned that her first job had been in retail during a discussion on tax and personal finance, but Murphy had responded, stating: ‘Not at Spearmint Rhino?’

She began by making a reference to when she landed her first job out of high school.

Vella said: ‘I remember when I worked in retail many moons ago when I was still in high school…’

But Murphy quickly interjected, saying: ‘Not at Spearmint Rhino?’

Vella flatly responded by saying: ‘No’, before pausing and then continuing with her point. ‘I couldn’t afford to go to a financial advisor, so I was doing my tax return myself.

‘I guess that’s why people are looking on social media,’ she added, before asking Kasapidis on whether she had any good advice for people looking to do their tax on their own.

Spearmint Rhino is a strip club chain who have venues located in Australia, the United Kingdom and the US.

There is no claim by Daily Mail Australia that Vella has ever worked in a strip club and it is understood that Murphy’s comments were meant as a joke.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted ABC for comment.

Murphy was a respected player during his footy career, making 312 appearances for the Western Bulldogs

Murphy was a respected player during his footy career, making 312 appearances for the Western Bulldogs  

Murphy would later go on to enjoy a career in broadcasting after hanging up his boots. He has worked for Fox Footy, SEN and has written for The Age

Murphy would later go on to enjoy a career in broadcasting after hanging up his boots. He has worked for Fox Footy, SEN and has written for The Age 

3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott (pictured) felt Murphy was drawing attention to himself with his unique takes

3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott (pictured) felt Murphy was drawing attention to himself with his unique takes

Murphy, a highly respected footy player and a two-time All-Australian, has had a bumpy start to the year in his new role, after the breakfast show’s ratings dipped from 7.9 per cent to 6.3 per cent market share in March.

Earlier this year, the 42-year-old former AFL star had also been criticised by rival radio presenter, Tom Elliott, for being ‘woke’ after he used the term ‘AFLM’ to describe the men’s top-flight Australian rules football competition.

‘Does anybody else honestly want to call the AFL the AFLM?,’ Elliott said on 3AW Mornings.

‘In America, you have the NBA and then the WNBA, that works fine.

‘I think he [Murphy] is the only person who does this. He persists in calling the AFL the AFLM….that is wokeness.’

Back in 2023, Murphy hit out at former Bulldogs team-mate Jason Akermanis regarding a difference of opinion on whether footy stars should come out as gay.

Akermanis was suspended by the Bulldogs and later delisted in 2010 after writing in a newspaper column that it ws too controversial to have an openly gay player. He wrote: ‘Stay in the closet’.

Murphy reflected on the controversy in an episode of ABC’s ‘Four Corners’ podcast.

Murphy (right) was also employed by Fremantle as their head of football operations back in 2021, before taking up a role with ABC earlier this year

Murphy (right) was also employed by Fremantle as their head of football operations back in 2021, before taking up a role with ABC earlier this year 

He said he was ‘disgusted’, ’embarrassed’ and ‘hurt’ by Akermanis’ comments.

Akermanis later stood by his comment, branding Murphy a ‘sook’ and a ‘complete myth’.

In the history of the Australian football league, no player has ever come out as openly gay.

Murphy, meanwhile, said any player to do so would be backed by players and the AFL in an empassioned statement.

‘You will be fought for and supported,’ the former Bulldogs captain said.

‘If there is a dissenting voice, they will be told to shut the f*** up or get out.’

Murphy, who retired in 2017 after making 312 appearances for the Western Bulldogs, was also understood to have slept through the beginning of his Friday, April 11th, breakfast radio show, leaving Vella without her co-host.

His alarm had not gone off and he missed his 5:30am live start, turning up to the studio 45 minutes late.

The two-time All-Australian was criticised earlier this year for being 'woke' after he referred to the AFL as the AFLM

The two-time All-Australian was criticised earlier this year for being ‘woke’ after he referred to the AFL as the AFLM 

Earlier this year, Murphy (right) had turned up late for work, missing the first 45 minutes of one of his shows after he slept in. He said his wife Justine (left) had to wake him up

Earlier this year, Murphy (right) had turned up late for work, missing the first 45 minutes of one of his shows after he slept in. He said his wife Justine (left) had to wake him up

‘Good morning Melbourne, well it does say Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy, but it is just me this morning, on my own,’ Sharnelle told listeners when the show began.

‘People are texting about where Bob is. He will be here shortly, no one panic.’

When Bob did turn up, he revealed what had happened live on air.

‘Good morning everyone… it has been quite the morning,’ he said.

Murphy then explained that his wife, Justine, had to get him out of bed.

‘Somehow, overnight the phone charger must have dislodged a bit. My darling jumped out and said, “It is 5:30am.”‘

The former Western Bulldogs star then apologised to listeners: ‘I feel like I have let you down. I suppose it had to happen.’

Vella, though, poked fun at her co-host, joking: ‘I’m off to the shops to buy him a charger.’

Later in May, ABC Radio’s ratings took another hit, with the latest GfK radio survey stating Vella and Murphy’s breakfast slot had slid down by a further 0.7 percentage points, falling from 6.3 to 5.6 per cent of the total audience share.

Murphy and his family moved back from Perth to Melbourne late last year in order for the former Bulldog's star to begin working on the show

Murphy and his family moved back from Perth to Melbourne late last year in order for the former Bulldog’s star to begin working on the show

He has previously spoken out on what the first few weeks were like stepping into breakfast radio, telling The Sydney Morning Herald: ‘You get in and anything could happen, really.

‘You can start talking about one thing, and it takes a turn, and off it goes. And that’s sport, that’s music, that’s theatre.

‘I’ve clearly stepped out of a sports world that does deal with politics and culture and community and those things, but it is centred around the game.

‘This is a completely different coliseum.’

After hanging up his boots, Murphy has worked in a variety of media capacities, notably writing a column in The Age, appearing as a panellist on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 and had joined Andy Maher to host the afternoon drive show on 1116 SEN.

He and his family moved back from Perth to Melbourne late last year in order for the former Bulldog’s star to begin working on the show. 

Meanwhile, in March, it was also announced that Murphy would be taking up a leadership role at the Kennel. 

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