Channel Nine dumps Andrew Voss from Footy Show for Sami Lukis, Wendell Sailor and Mario Fenech
* By Phil Rothfield and Rebecca wWlson
* From: The Sunday Telegraph
* March 07, 2010 12:00AM
CHANNEL Nine has benched Andrew Voss from its Footy Show panel in a major revamp to boost ratings that slumped to an all-time low last year.
The rookie commentator was criticised last year for overplaying his role on the show and continually butting in on good interviews.
The show's executive producer Gary Burns would not speak on the record, other than to confirm Voss would have a reduced role.
"I need to talk to Andrew when he gets back from the Winter Olympics," was all Burns was prepared to say.
Voss is not part of a sharp new advertising campaign for the show, which features Tina Turner's hit Simply The Best.
Nine's show, which resumes on Thursday night, will now be without two of last year's regular panellists with Voss and Matty Johns replaced by Peter Sterling and Wendell Sailor.
Former weather girl Sami Lukis has joined the show in a weekly segment with Rabbitohs legend Mario Fenech.
Fenech actually knocked back an offer to jump ship to Johns' new show by recently agreeing to a new contract at Nine, his long-term friendship with Burns behind the decision to stay.
Nine's show will be headed up by Paul Vautin, Sterling and Sailor as regular panellists, with Fenech, Big Marn Darryl Brohman, Lukis, Phillip Ronald Gould, Benji Marshall and Eels rookie Daniel Mortimer doing different segments.
Johns' new show on Channel Seven will not start until three weeks into the season.
