Why Kate Ritchie axed from skincare deal but Stephanie Rice kept on

The Aussie skincare brand has broken its silence on why it ended its long-term deal with Kate Ritchie.

After Daily Mail Australia revealed QV Skincare had scrubbed the Home and Away darling from all its campaigns, a spokesman for Ego Pharmacuticals admitted the lucrative partnership had come to an ‘amicable’ end.

The parting of ways emerged just several days after Ritchie, 44, was busted for drink driving by police in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs. 

But the spokesman said the company was heading in a new direction and the decision was unrelated to the drink driving.

 ‘The partnership with Kate ended amicably in December last year due to a strategic change we made to focus on healthcare professionals in our QV campaigns,’ the representative said.

‘(It was) not due to the recent events.’

However, the skincare brand has retained retired swimmer Stephanie Rice as a brand spruiker. 

  Ritchie, 44, blew over after she was stopped by police in her blue Subaru station wagon for a random breath test on August 22.

She was immediately arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station, where she underwent a secondary breath analysis which returned a positive reading of 0.06, just a shade over the legal limit of 0.05.

Ritchie was fined $600 on the spot and suspended from driving for three months.

The knock to her public image couldn’t have come at a worse time for the popular Aussie presenter whose $1million-per-year radio gig is also said to be ‘under review’ at Nova as she and the network enter contract negotiations.

Ritchie had enjoyed six years as QV Skincare’s highest-profile ambassador – a lucrative deal that included two major TV and editorial campaigns.

Ritchie also plugged the brand extensively on her own social media platforms,  specifically to her 331,000 Instagram followers.

However all mentions of the brand – whose products were originally formulated for use at Australia’s Queen Victoria hospital in 1953 – have recently been deleted. 

The brand spokesman said it was simple shift in advertising strategy that was behind the move to end the relationship.

It is understood the company has copped abuse from some Ritchie fans over the decision. 

‘Extended absences’ from the airwaves have been cited by an industry insider as one of the black marks against Ritchie’s name, along with her abundant salary package which has steadily grown over the years.

 At one point in 2020, Ritchie took seven consecutive weeks of leave from her late-afternoon shift, which one radio figure said was ‘unheard of’.

More recently she took an unexplained three-week break during peak ratings season.  

A Nova spokesperson was quick to dismiss speculation Ritchie was being replaced on the Kate, Tim and Joel insisting she was ‘collaborating’ with her management to balance her radio commitments with a planned ‘return to her acting roots’.

Whilst we don’t usually comment on this type of unfounded speculation, or confirm our presenter line-up for 2023, we have no plans for any changes to the Kate, Tim and Joel drive show or Kate’s role within the show.’     

As part of the long-standing QV deal, Ritchie launched the successful Together We’re Stronger campaign which showcased the importance of skin-on-skin contact in creating connections and moments of ‘togetherness with loved ones throughout the different stages of life’.

“As a proud QV ambassador, I’m passionate about the new campaign which celebrates the strength that comes from those around us, and the amazing role our skin plays in creating those close connections,” Ritchie said at the time.  

Ritchie’s management has also been sought for comment.