Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands has offered a theory to explain the disappearance of Channel Seven presenter Matt Doran on Tuesday.
Seven Network had sent the Weekend Sunrise co-host to Hunter Valley to cover the horror bus crash that claimed the lives of 10 wedding guests in the small town of Greta over the long weekend.
However, the star reporter failed to show up for his spot on Sunrise on Tuesday morning, sparking a police investigation that eventually ended in finding him.
Discussing the incident on Wednesday’s Kyle And Jackie O Show, Sandilands theorized that Doran was upset he wasn’t chosen to replace David ‘Kochie’ Koch as the new co-host of Seven’s Today show.
Former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington won the coveted role instead, officially replacing Kochie on Monday – the same day Doran was sent to the Hunter Valley.
Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands (left) has offered a theory to explain the disappearance of Channel Seven presenter Matt Doran (right) on Tuesday
“He’s still grossed out that Shirvo got the big Kochie job. Because [Doran is] the Weekend Sunrise guy, so you’d think he was in the running for Kochie’s job,” Sandilands speculated.
“But no, not after the Adele fiasco,” he added, referring to Doran’s disastrous interview with British Grammy award-winning singer Adele. November 2021.
Discussing the incident on Wednesday’s Kyle And Jackie O Show, Sandilands theorized that Doran was upset he wasn’t chosen to replace David ‘Kochie’ Koch as the new co-host of Seven’s Today show. (Doran is pictured filling in for Kochie on Sunrise with Natalie Barr)
Former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington (pictured) won the coveted role instead, officially replacing Kochie on Monday – the same day Doran was sent to the Hunter Valley
Insiders say Doran’s producer went to look for him at his hotel in Singleton, but there was no knock on his room door.
Concerned colleagues then contacted the police, who sent out a missing persons alert across the region.
“Earlier today, Port Stephens Hunter Police District officers received a notice of concern for a welfare report for a 40-year-old man,” NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia.
Officers launched an investigation and found a man a short time later. There is no further police action.’
Channel Seven reporter Matt Doran is pictured with his wife Kendall Bora
A Channel Seven insider told Daily Mail Australia that Doran’s wife, Kendall Bora, an executive producer of Channel Nine’s Today show, abruptly left work to go to the area to find her husband.
“Matt Doran didn’t show up for work today. That’s a fact,” a source told Daily Mail Australia.
News reporter Liam Tapper appeared live on Cessnock on Sunrise Tuesday morning. It remains unclear if he was already scheduled for that timeslot or if he was acting as Doran’s replacement.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Seven for comment.
In the photo, Doran reports on the tragedy of Monday’s Hunter Valley bus accident
The incident comes just weeks after Doran put up for sale his lavish two-bedroom apartment in Bellevue Hill, in Sydney’s posh eastern suburbs.
The house will be auctioned by BresicWhitney on June 24 with a target price of $1.8 million.
Doran, who began his career as a police reporter at the Herald Sun, joined the Seven Network in 2017 after working in the Network Ten newsroom for nearly eight years.
Two years later, he was promoted to his current role as co-host of Weekend Sunrise – alongside Monique Wright – after intermittently replacing Koch.
During his time in broadcasting, Doran was no stranger to controversy – he infamously made headlines around the world after a disastrous interview with Adele in November 2021.
The journalist was sent to London with a Seven crew for an exclusive interview with the Hello hitmaker as part of a promo for the release of her highly anticipated new album, 30.
News reporter Liam Tapper appeared live on Cessnock on Sunrise Tuesday morning
However, Adele became offended after Doran admitted that he had not listened to the album prior to the interview, tearing up the $1 million deal.
It was reported at the time that Doran had been suspended for two weeks by the network over the incident, but he later claimed there was no formal suspension and simply took a week off.
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