The Project host snaps in on-air meltdown: "It's disgusting"
In an explosive exchange on The Project last night, things got personal when hosts Peter Helliar and Steve Price bitterly disagreed about the controversial plans to advertise the Everest Cup horse race on the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
Radio broadcaster Price said he was perplexed at the controversy, saying he didn’t see what “the big deal” was, and referenced imagery that had appeared in the past on the sails for the Wallabies, reported news.com.au.
“It’s a few lights flashed up on the sails briefly, there’s no graffiti, it’s not advertising, it’s promotion of a NSW sporting event,” he said.
“I don’t know what the big deal about this is!” Pricey shares his two cents on the Opera House controversy and explains where else he’s shared his cents! #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/z0k22xljon
— The Project (@theprojecttv) October 8, 2018
But things really got nasty when Price claimed he’d paid for the Opera House. According to tenplay.com.au, the radio host lives between Sydney and Melbourne.
He questioned why Helliar would be so outraged at the plans to advertise horse racing on the world-famous landmark when he lives in Melbourne.
“You’re so obsessed with this story. You don’t even live in Sydney. You didn’t even pay for the Opera House – I did!” he said.
A bemused Helliar fired back:
“You’ve made me angry. You paid for the Opera House? There’s your headline. You’re a w***er.”
Helliar also had plenty to say about Price’s 2GB colleague, the influential radio host Alan Jones, who he accused of “bullying” Louise Herron, chief executive of the Opera House, in an interview on his radio show. Jones had said he could have Herron fired if she didn’t toe the line on the advertising plans.
“This isn’t about gambling, it’s the fact that the Sydney Opera House have a charter, and they’ve been forced to change that charter and that interview with Alan Jones – and it’s almost a side issue – but that was disgusting,” said Helliar.
“That was so disgusting. To hear a woman bullied.”
The comedian said that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian should not have bowed to Jones’ demands to advertise on the Opera House and should have “changed her mind to send a message.”
Price said he wouldn’t “pass judgement” on his colleague, nor would he do so of his The Project co-hosts. But Helliar wasn’t about to back down.
“So you’re comfortable with it, yeah?”
Host Waleed Aly stepped in and summed up the confrontation quipping: “Oooh, the ice from Pete!”
Over 245,000 people have signed an online petition so far, saying the Opera House should be protected from Jones and his “gambling mates.”