Sam Newman’s appearance at a South Australia pub is abruptly cancelled following furious reaction from angry locals… months after he faced mass backlash for tweeting that Joe Biden is ‘mentally retarded with special needs’
He’s hit headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months, following a string of controversial comments he’s made publicly.
And on Friday, Sam Newman’s upcoming gig at a South Australia pub was sensationally cancelled two weeks before it was set to go ahead, after the event caused uproar from furious locals.
The Lady Bay Hotel in Normanville confirmed to Adelaide Now that ‘An Evening With Sam Newman’ on Friday 16 April would no longer take place, with manager Steve Finlay saying the venue ‘just doesn’t like to be controversial’.
Cancelled: On Friday, Sam Newman’s upcoming gig at a South Australia pub was sensationally cancelled two weeks before it was set to go ahead, after the event caused uproar from furious locals. Sam is pictured
‘When we started to get this sort of feedback, we made the decision to cancel the show,’ he told the publication.
‘We’ve been booking cover bands which have been really well received, so I think we’ll be sticking to musicians.’
The 75-year-old has become known for raising controversy in recent months.
In November, he deleted a tweet calling Joe Biden ‘mentally retarded’ after online backlash.
Common: The 75-year-old has become known for raising controversy in recent months
Newman took to Twitter after Biden declared victory in the US presidential election after most media organisations called the election for Biden over Donald Trump.
‘Great day for inclusion and diversity,’ Newman wrote. ‘Shows someone who is mentally retarded and has special needs, can attain high office. Congratulations, Joe Biden.’
He also infamously made headlines in June after calling George Floyd, a key figure in the Black Lives Matter movement, a ‘piece of s**t’.
He ended his 35-year partnership with Channel Nine shortly after his shocking comments came to light.
Shock: In November, Newman deleted a tweet calling Joe Biden ‘mentally retarded’ after an online backlash
The former Geelong player appeared on the Sacked: Showbiz podcast in October and said he had become accustomed to being criticised for his brash perspectives.
‘The cancel culture kicked in and I got cancelled. The sponsors got a bit edgy… and I said if you want me to disassociate myself then I’m happy to do that,’ he told the podcast.
Newman also revealed that his controversial demeanor on the Footy Show had previously landed him in trouble with Channel Nine bosses.
‘I know once they did say to me, and I can tell you this, after I’d done something…
Outrage: ‘Great day for inclusion and diversity,’ Newman wrote. ‘Shows someone who is mentally retarded and has special needs, can attain high office. Congratulations, Joe Biden’
‘They said look, the Broadcasting Tribunal have given us a warning and said that if I do anything else again they will actually cancel the licence,’ Newman explained.
The TV personality said he was then asked to pre-record the show and almost quit in disgust.
‘And they said what we would like to do is tape the show and pre-tape it and put it to air,’ he explained.
‘I said mate that’s fine, if you tape the show I’m out.’
Newman said he had been warned numerous times to be careful because of his edgy humour and labelled himself the ‘most polarising figure in Australia’.
‘They want you to be as edgy as possible, because it’s all predicated on ratings, but they don’t want you to go too far so it’s frowned upon by people who give out the licences,’ he explained.
Controversy: Newman said he had been warned numerous times to be careful because of his edgy humour and labelled himself the ‘most polarising figure in Australia’
