Kyle behind Ritchie rift rumor

[defying_gravity]

Kyle behind Ritchie rift rumour - Ross

By Katherine Field July 09, 2008 04:33pm

NOVA 969 breakfast host Tim "Rosso" Ross says rumours of a rift with new recruit Kate Ritchie are "absurd". Ross today hit back at reports that he and co-host Merrick Watts were planning to leave the station at the end of 2008, after seven years.

He said he and Watts had never been happier, especially with Ritchie on board, and if everything went to plan they would sign on for another year in the next few months.

"I'd really like to do next year with Merrick and Kate," Ross said today.

"(But) the only way I can tell you for sure that I'm coming back next year is after I sign a contract."

Media reports have quoted a source saying the pair are over it and want to concentrate on other "accomplishments".

Ross and Ritchie have been broadcasting the show from Sydney without Watts for the past month because he has been doing the show from Melbourne while he works on the ABC Television show The Hollowmen.

Ross said it hadn't caused any issues, however.

"Our business is structured so we can continue to do radio and do the other things that we want to do," Ross said.

"So we can do radio and TV (and) the show's been really good if not better at times."

Ross said he was flabbergasted by rumours that he and Watts had fallen out with Ritchie, who they had courted for years and had "revitalised" him and Watts.

"We're all really close so it's rather absurd," Ross said.

"We're having a great time and we're not good at faking things."

It was first reported in May by Kyle Sandilands, from rival FM station 2Day, that the former Home and Away star and Gold Logie winner Ritchie felt left out and was deeply unhappy with her new radio job.

Ross hit back at Sandilands today.

"They're (Sandilands and his radio co-host Jackie O) under threat, we beat them (in the) 18-39 (age bracket) which is where the game is. Big Brother's f**ked this year" Ross said, referring to the Network Ten reality TV show hosted by Sandilands and Jackie O.

"They're tired and the show's tired."

"They'll lash out and say anything, it's unfortunate if that's where the **** comes from, but I don't know."

Source: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story...9-10229,00.html