Neil Mitchell: Why radio host has been blacklisted by Daniel Andrews for years ... trends now
Veteran radio host Neil Mitchell has opened up on his five-year long dispute with Daniel Andrews and his wife Catherine, and said the Premier 'might still want to sue'.
In a radio show where the tables were turned and he was interviewed by Channel Nine's Tony Jones, Mitchell also spoke of difficulties in his professional dealings with Scott Morrison and Julia Gillard.
He also revealed what he really thinks of Eddie Maguire, Jeff Kennett, Derryn Hinch, Steve Price and Sydney radio personalities, and why he thinks women are 'strange people'.
'What was it that caused Daniel Andrews to black ban you,' Jones asked Mitchell.
'I think, repeated critical analysis and a couple of...' he replied, before he was interrupted.
'It must have been more than that,' Jones said.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (right) and his wife Catherine (left) have both been in a long-term dispute with 3AW's Neil Mitchell
Mr Andrews has not appeared on Mitchell's 3AW breakfast show since 2017.
'The last interview was pretty aggressive. It was about Skyrail (elevated train line) and he was conducting a survey into Skyrail before they built it...
'I said 'You're going to build it' and he said 'Yes' and I said 'Well, why are you doing the bloody study then?'
'And he got quite grumpy about that,' Mitchell said.
Jones asked about a rumour regarding a story that caused Mr Andrews to tell Mitchell he would never talk to him again if the host ran it on his show.
'No, he didn't say that. I did run the story, which we won't repeat because he might still want to sue. But I did run the story and I rang him to tell him I was going to do it,' the broadcaster replied.
Mitchell said there was another major story that led to his eventual banning by the Premier.
'I also rang him to tell him, and I did broadcast this, when he went up to his father's farm during the (2014) election campaign and his father was dying, and he took the bus up there to take film of the dad selling off the farm.
'And I told him I thought it was wrong and I rang him to tell him that,' he said.
Despite spending decades delving into the lives of politicians, sport stars, celebrities and ordinary people, very little is known about Neill Mitchell's (pictured) own life
The top-rating broadcaster dismissed what has been said to be Mr Andrews' reason for not talking to him.
'He has told ministers, people I know, that it's because I went after his wife (Catherine) after the (2013) car crash (that left 15-year-old Ryan Meuleman fighting for his life), and that's just garbage.
'That didn't happen. In fact, I sent the tape to a number of ministers and they said 'Well, you didn't say anything wrong',' said Mitchell.
He said the real reason Mr Andrews does not want to appear on his show is that: 'I'm not worth the risk, that's what it is. It's that simple. Political judgement.'
Mitchell bumped into the Premier at a Melbourne v Geelong football game in 2018 and said they shook hands, 'though (Mr Andrews) looked the other way'.
'We came face to face and I put up my hand and he shook it, but there was no conversation. I think he said hello,' he said.
'It doesn't worry me. He's entitled to do that.'
Neil Mitchell has revealed that he is not a fan of fellow broadcaster Steve Price (pictured)
Despite spending decades delving into the lives of politicians, sport stars, celebrities and ordinary people, very little is known about Mitchell's own life.
'I don't think it's about me,' told Jones.
He said that some people 'just want to talk about themselves all the time. I find that boring, I find that annoying.
'It's a different thing to ask the Prime Minister about himself because he's running the place.'
He added that he didn't think people were particularly interested in media personalities, 'I don't think they're particularly interested in me.'
Mitchell gave former politician and broadcaster Derryn Hinch (pictured) a rating of two out of 10
Jones asked Mitchell to give ratings out of 10 with 'one the pain in the neck and 10 being terrific' to various people he has had dealings with over the years.
He rated former broadcaster and politician Derryn Hinch a two.
Confusingly, he first rated Eddie Maguire one, then 10, then five.
TV and radio personality Steve Price did not get a rating, just a response of 'How low do we go?'
The confusion over Maguire's rating and lack of respect for Price are undoubtedly related to an incident in August when Mitchell labelled The Project panellist Price an 'irrelevant'
