TALKSPORT - whats happened to Brazil then ?

[Easy 10]

Anyone know the circumstances surrounding Alan Brazils sudden departure from Talksport ?
Mike Parry seems to be glossing over it by claiming its an "amicable departure" but he hasn't elaborated on it further than that. Brazils been doing the breakfast show with him for years, and there was absolutely no prior announcement to Brazil leaving the station - I'm sure they'd have made quite a big thing of it if he announced he was leaving, but it seems to have happened overnight.

I reckon they've had a big falling out while they were at Cheltenham, as Brazils not been back on air since then. I assumed he was taking a break, but it seems this is permanent. I quite liked listening to their banter on the way in to work, and you always got the odd pearler (Brazil asking Garry Bushell the other week how Bob Monkhouse's health was, nice one).
Anyone know anything more on it ?

 

[cheshunt seagull]

In the Observer yesterday there was a brief note about his departure being due to being 'too drunk to broadcast'. but no more detail than that

 

[Easy 10]

STOP PRESS...just did a google and found this.

The following is lifted from talksport1089.co.uk who in turn borrowed it from the Daily Mail

talkSPORT have sacked Alan Brazil, co-presenter of The Sports Breakfast alongside Mike Parry, according to The Daily Mail Newspaper.

The former Ipswich and Scotland striker failed to appear for last Friday's show which he co-presents with Mike Parry. However Brazil's latest absence, after three day's presenting The Sports Breakfast from the Cheltenham Festival, finally tipped the balance for station boss Kelvin MacKenzie, who has become increasingly frustrated during the past 18 months with Brazil missing shows.

He received a number of written warnings from the station and have been concerned for some time about Brazil's champagne lifesyle, which has left him unfit to go on air a number of times. talkSPORT were also fed up with having to make excuses to listeners that their best paid anchor man at £200,000 a year, was unwell.

Brazil, currently on a skiing holiday, strongly defends his behaviour. He said "talkSPORT encouraged my social life, telling me to go here and there. There were times after a big do when, yes, I wasn't in the right shape to go on the radio."

"I admit I've missed shows during my four years at talkSPORT, but I believe my appearance record over that time compares favourably with other top presenters. I'm gutted that it's blown up with Kelvin. I wanted to carry on and I believe I had a genuine reason for not turning up last Friday. In my opinion talkSPORT have broken up their best partnership which was the main reason for listening to the station, I'm taking legal advice."

Patrick Kinghorn and Tony Cascarino, the station's drivetime hosts who are currently filling-in on The Sports Breakfast, could be in the frame to take over with Adrian Durham another possible replacement. However, talkSPORT's Spanish football correspondent Paul Breen-Turner is favourite to take over.

 

[Ex Shelton Seagull]

Let us never forget Alan Brazil's finest moment on radio;

"You know I was so sad to hear this morning about the death of John Shaw"
"Thaw, Alan."
"Och, you know, i've been doing that all morning. John, mate, if you're listening, sorry about that."

 

[Easy 10]

"In my opinion Talksport have broken up their best partnership which was the main reason for listening to the station"

Seems to have a rather high opinion of himself, doesn't he ? Personally, I prefer Hawksbee & Jacobs, which cracks me up every time. Wish they'd move them to the Breakfast show so I could hear them more often.

 

[Marshy]

Cheers Easy, I didnt even realise he had gone, nothing has been said at all.
At least i know now. Only listen to talk sport between 7 and 9 in the morning so im looking forward to hearing some of the other presenters.

 

[Easy 10]

From Brazils comments, and the fact that he is consulting his lawyers, it would appear that Mike Parry's claims that it was "an amicable parting" is, in fact, absolute bollocks.

On the face of it, its a bit harsh to sack the fella for oversleeping and missing the Friday show after being out on the piss the night before...but it sounds like this isn't the first time. The lawsuit should be interesting.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

They did this with Tommy Boyd, the best presenter they've ever had, IMHO - he was on one night, gone the next with no explanantion, all a bit hush hush, does them no favours

 

[Blackbushe Pilot]

I thought Brazil was a great listen. Pretty light voice to ease you into the morning.

Its clear that Parry and that scouse fella wont last long, constantly trying to talk over each other followed by moments of cringe worthy silent gaps.

All good things come to an end. Did you ever listen to Chris Evans? Switched off Virgin when he went and went to Talksport.

I guess they have a couple more weeks before the audience start doing the same in the morning. Once youve lost um - they dont come back.

Combine that with the cricket commentary which is DULL (and Im a fan) and I reackon its this station director Kelvin MacKenzie they should sack?

 

[Jam The Man]

Let's start a Bring Back Brazil thread (BBB)

 

[PaoloRossiJohnson]

No, let's not...

I was surprised and, at first, disappointed to hear that Brazil had 'gone', but now I'm quite glad actually, because his and Parry's incessant conversations about 'the champagne lifestyle' were getting annoying.

Let's start a 'Bring Back More of the Sport and Less of the Talk campaign'...

 

[Easy 10]

The Cheltenham coverage was well OTT - we're not ALL horseracing fans, the coverage absolutely saturated everything else. And as for the live cricket ball-by-ball commentry - afraid I was driven over to 5-Live during that for my drive home, there's nothing more BORING than cricket commentry IMHO.

I yearn for Hawksbee & Jacobs to go back to drive time. Shift Kinghorn & Cascarino to breakfast, bump H & J to drive, and let Parry loose in the afternoons instead.

 

[Jam The Man]

No, let's not...

Let's start a 'Bring Back More of the Sport and Less of the Talk campaign'...

No way - far too much Cricket coverage ...

 

[Max's Dad]

Hawksbee & Jacobs are OK but the sodding birthday spread game ... it is incredibly tedious and self indulgent and does not involve the callers at all.

And as for Tommy Boyd -- what a lightweight. When Talksport was coming under new management the new boss was listening to his show and heard Boyd rambling on about why butterflies weren't called "flutterbies" and invited people to ring in. And this is a man who pompously told listeners that he did not vote in General Elections for fear of compromising his journalistic integrity! The new man sacked him.

I'll miss Brazil as he was easy on the ear and normally the perfect foil for Parry. Makes you wonder how many times his back really was killing him, as we were told ...

 

[curly]

parry and brazil wer a great patnership, but parry's stupid comments are what makes the show funny

 

[PaoloRossiJohnson]

The Cheltenham coverage was well OTT - we're not ALL horseracing fans, the coverage absolutely saturated everything else.

Absolutely right - I couldn't wait for Cheltenham to be over.

Bad news though, Easy... next year the festival increases from 3 days to 4... I kid you not.

I also agree about having H & J back at drive time. But I'd put Cascarino on in the afternoons so I wouldn't have to listen to his terrible delivery and awful pronunciations eg. Seven-Goran Eriksson....

 

[chips and gravy]

On the rare occasions I listened to Talksport, I thought Brazil was ok. Just another in a long line of presenters who've behaved badly.

I used to like the two Dannys on Radio 5 Live. I wish they would come back, rather than the tedious Wright and Bright

 

[Blackadder]

Brazil's gone has he?

I remember a few times, AB being !unwell!.

I thought Parry was the boss, obviously not - McKenzie is!

I thought that Parry and Brazil worked well. Parry does some shameful plugging though. they seem to be on never ending junkets, never paying for anything! Not even tickets for his beloved Everton who he watches once every other season!

 

[SussexSpur]

Tommy Boyd. . . was amazed when I first heard him on Talksport. trying oh-so-hard to be controversial, when all I could associate him with was the Wide Awake Club.
In fact, I met him when I appeared on that same legendary show, as part of a group of schoolkids playing recorders and ocarinas made out of cardboard. My 15 minutes of fame, anyway. Remember getting autographs and cheesy photos from him, Timmy Mallett (whose autograph was a big mallet for the T, then "immy") and Michaela Strachan - I think a picture of her with her arms around me is still on my parents' mantelpiece. Hmm.

Also remember Tommy Boyd was a qualified referee. And every week on Wide Awake Club there was a football coaching segment with the legendary Gary Stevens (no, not the League, FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup winning Everton player - the GOOD Gary Stevens!)

Danny Baker and Danny Kelly, though, are the daddies when it comes to football radio. Evem better if you take the Danny Kelly of the team out of the picture (despite being a Spurs fan - why is it any Spurs fan who gets a radio presenting job - Kelly, Richard Littlejohn, Charlie Whelan, etc - brings us all into disrepute?)

 

[Blackadder]

.