Latest news with #MerrickWatts
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Merrick Watts reveals the moment he and Tim Ross lost $1million for Nova: 'It was a big deal'
Merrick Watts has opened up about the moment he and his former co-host Tim Ross lost the Nova network $1million. The 51-year-old revealed on the Friendlyjordies Podcas t, he and Rosso had been asked to promote McDonald's El Maco range live on air early in their career but things didn't go to plan. After introducing the range, the radio duo joked it 'was the blandest food you would ever have' and their bosses weren't impressed. 'That's what we refer to as the El Maco incident and no one ever brings that up but Rosso and I know about it,' Merrick explained. 'We really upset the guys. Part of the quote was about "the geniuses at McDonald's have done it again... the blandest food you've ever had" and I was so dumb and I was laughing so much. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'And must have doubled down and said something about the shaker fries. We got off air and it was a big deal, I think we lost them $1million.' Merrick and Rosso were best known for their radio shows on Triple J, Nova, and Triple M, but the comedy duo shocked their listeners when they parted ways in 2009 after over a decade together. Last year, Merrick spoke about his 'brutal' split with his longtime comedy partner. 'Rosso and I fractured, we split up at the end of 2009. It was brutal, it was tough. It's not really something I talk about a lot…but it was really devastating at the time,' he told SAS Australia host Ant Middleton on his podcast Head Game. 'I was focused on wanting to follow a certain trajectory that I felt innately was the right way to go and that was probably in conflict to the way we were doing things and the way we were working together.' The comedian said he felt the collaboration between himself and his partner had run its course at the time. 'I think we just exhausted ourselves as a unit and we'd done everything, we'd even lived together, and then I got my own family and got different priorities,' he claimed. Ant suggested that Watts' change in priorities was likely due to the arrival of his first son, Wolfe, in 2009. 'I kind of wanted to forge my own identity…which I thought would be a lot easier than what it was,' Watts added. The podcast interview wasn't the first time Watts encountered Ant, as the pair first met on SAS Australia in 2020. Watts said Middleton helped him achieve 'the best physical and mental state I've been in in my entire life'. Speaking candidly at the time, he said he struggled with anxiety and depression before making the appearance on the gruelling Channel Seven series. The father-of-two said he had been in the 'worst mental state' of his life, and not even a psychologist or 10-week meditation course could help. 'I felt like I was chipping away,' Watts said during an interview with Nova's Fitzy and Wippa. 'I did all the right things, I spoke to a psychologist, I spoke to my doctor, I did a 10-week meditation course. Nothing was working. I know that what I needed was to rebuild my confidence.' Watts said he knew that going on SAS Australia would help him feel more confident. 'When I'm confident I'm very, very capable. When I'm not confident I go back into my shell... I knew that just the process of getting ready for SAS Australia would be enough to rebuild my confidence and I was right,' he explained. 'I look at myself, a year ago and when I signed up for this show I was in the worst mental state I've ever been in. I look at myself a year later and I'm in the best physical and mental state I've been in in my entire life.' He finished: 'It's been extraordinarily good for my mind and my body.'
Perth Now
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Aussie comedian to take on challenging Kokoda Track hike
Australian comedian Merrick Watts is just days away from embarking on a hike along the gruelling Kokoda Track — a 96-kilometre journey through Papua New Guinea's mountainous jungle — to raise funds for special forces veterans and their families. The SAS star will be joined by a team of Australians who will retrace the footsteps of WWII Diggers who fought against Japanese forces in one of the most pivotal campaigns in the nation's military history. For the group, it's more than a physical challenge — it's a mission to shine a light on the ongoing hardships many veterans and their families face long after their service ends. Every year, around 5,000 veterans leave the Australian Defence Force, and many struggle with the transition to civilian life. Mental health issues, financial hardship, and limited access to urgent support remain critical issues. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. According to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, more than 30% of contemporary veterans report high levels of psychological distress, and suicide rates among ex-serving personnel remain significantly higher than the national average. The funds raised from the trek will support the Commando Welfare Trust, a charity established in 2010 to provide a perpetual safety net for Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) soldiers, veterans, and their families. The Trust offers emergency relief and long-term financial assistance where government systems fall short. In the past 12 months alone, the Commando Welfare Trust has delivered more than $1 million in direct aid, covering essentials like school fees, urgent medical treatments, emergency accommodation, and mortgage payments — including support for a veteran who was left paralysed after service. Donate to Merrick's fundraiser here.
