Fatty axed as TV host

NRL television stalwart Paul “Fatty” Vautin is being punted from Channel Nine’s The Footy Show after 23 years and 11 Logies.

The longest- serving host on Australian television will be restricted to commentary box duties at live NRL games in 2018 with the network to groom glamorous star Erin Molan as his replacement.

The Footy Show will be expanded next year to broadcast in a new timeslot on Monday night, then Thursday night and Sunday lunchtime.

Molan ( pictured right) yesterday paid tribute to her fellow Footy Show stars Vautin, Darryl “Big Marn” Brohmann and Beau Ryan as well as executive producer Glenn Pallister.

“I’m not sure what the show will look like next year but I am so grateful for the past six seasons alongside Fatty, Big Marn, Beau and Glenn and the whole team,” she said.

“I love them. They couldn’t have treated me better or made me feel more welcome. They are family and whatever happens always will be.”

The move to replace 58year- old Vautin ( pictured below) and promote Molan is a tactical manoeuvre by the network to win back female fans who have deserted The Footy Show.

Its ratings have slipped to an all- time low this year, often to as bad as 80,000 viewers compared with the halcyon days when it regu- larly pulled in audiences around 370,000.

Vautin is on a family holiday in the US and did not return phone calls or text messages.

Officially Channel Nine says The Footy Show is being revamped because the network will show 23 live Thursday night NRL games next year. of