Wayne Carey will no longer appear on Sam Newman’s podcast after reportedly growing uneasy about discussions that reignited public interest in his controversial past.
Newman addressed Carey’s months-long absence from the You Cannot Be Serious podcast, saying a dispute over comments concerning convicted rapist Ralph Carr ultimately brought the partnership to an end.
The former footballer and broadcaster also lashed out at what he called ‘banshees and cuckolds’, accusing critics and media coverage of repeatedly dragging Carey’s past back into the spotlight as he tried to rebuild his public image.
Speaking with Melbourne Underground Film Festival director Richard Wolstencroft, Newman said the former North Melbourne captain remained a friend, but acknowledged that their regular podcast collaboration had ended.
‘Wayne Carey, the Duck, is a friend of mine and I hope always will be,’ Newman said.
‘But the Duck has become uncomfortable with some of the subjects that I bring up.’
Sam Newman (pictured) said podcast co-host Wayne Carey (left) had become uncomfortable discussing topics that revived attention on his past
Newman described the reaction to his comments about convicted rapist Ralph Carr (pictured) as the moment tensions between the pair came to a head
Newman said Carey (pictured) was attempting to reshape his public image after coverage of their Carr discussion renewed focus on earlier controversies, including his 1997 indecent assault conviction
Carey became a permanent member of the podcast in November 2024. Newman said the pair had initially agreed to speak openly about their respective controversies before turning to football and wider social issues.
However, Newman claimed Carey grew increasingly hesitant whenever conversations threatened to place his own history under renewed scrutiny.
Media coverage frequently returned to Carey’s 1997 indecent assault conviction, which followed his guilty plea to grabbing a woman’s breast.
His public history also includes his 2002 exit from North Melbourne after an affair with teammate Anthony Stevens’ wife, Kelli, an episode that remains one of Australian football’s most discussed scandals.
‘Wayne, to his great credit, is trying to change his image,’ Newman said this week.
‘He has a young family and it must be a hell of a bugbear to him.’
According to Newman, Carey’s attempts to comment on the conduct of others often prompted commentators to revisit his own record.
‘Every time he mentions something, they say, “Oh, yes. But don’t forget”. And then they bring up his past,’ he said.
Newman (right) criticised what he called ‘banshees and cuckolds’ over coverage that revisited Carey’s (left) past
Newman said the backlash to his remarks about sports and celebrity manager Ralph Carr’s rape conviction was the decisive flashpoint in the podcast dispute.
A Victorian County Court jury found Carr guilty on July 28 of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
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In August, Newman questioned the evidence against Carr and suggested the victim might have had ‘buyer’s remorse’ on the podcast.
‘I’m just wondering what sort of evidence they had about him raping her,’ Newman said during the episode.
‘Other than the fact she might have buyer’s remorse.’
Carey said: ‘Sam, Sam, given that you’re in Sicily and you are only going off what you are reading, I’d probably suggest … you don’t have an opinion about it. Just like I don’t.’
Revisiting the controversy on the latest episode this week, Newman acknowledged Carr’s conviction but insisted he had been asking Carey about the circumstances of the case rather than defending Carr.
He has repeatedly insisted the phrase referred to the decision to consume cocaine and alcohol before the assault, not the rape itself.
Newman said Carey remained a friend despite the end of their podcast partnership
‘Buyer’s remorse meaning a bad decision,’ Newman said in his latest defence.
This week, fellow host and Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) director Richard ‘Dick’ Wolstencroft also argued that discussing controversial subjects was part of the program.
‘When you do a show like this… you have to be able to comment on everything,’ he said.
‘It doesn’t mean you have a dog in the fight or that you are defending somebody or not defending somebody.’
Newman criticised the coverage of Carey’s intervention, saying reports had used the exchange to revisit the former AFL star’s history.
He said other potential discussion topics, including the Sydney Swans’ Pullman Hotel scandal and Ben Cousins’ history, created similar difficulties for Carey.
‘He just opens a Pandora’s box and all the media pile onto him again and bring it all up, and he doesn’t want that,’ Newman said.
‘So I think it’s best that we don’t do this anymore with the Duck. He would probably be relieved about this.’
Newman indicated he would continue recording with Wolstencroft, while insisting he expected his fellow panellist to challenge him.
‘That doesn’t mean to say, Dick, I want you to just sit there and nod and agree with everything I say,’ he said.
He also suggested political discussions could be reduced or pushed towards the end of future episodes.
‘We’ll try and keep the politics or international politics either to a minimum or at the back end of this,’ Newman said.
The Daily Mail has contacted Carey for comment.