Obermeder fronts Seven afternoon show solo after co-host's domestic assault charge - Sydney Morning Herald

An ashen-faced Sally Obermeder has revealed she was "understandably shocked" when she learned the man she usually normally sits adjacent on Channel Seven's The Daily Edition, co-star Ryan Phelan, was charged on Monday night with allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.

As the The Daily Edition went to air on Tuesday afternoon, Obermeder greeted viewers sitting alone at the desk she had shared with Phelan.

Sally Obermeder Credit:Dave McKelvey

"Before we go on," she told viewers. "I want to take the opportunity to address Ryan Phelan's absence from the program."

"Ryan will not be returning to The Daily Edition due to the serious allegations that have been made against him. Now, the network was unaware of these allegations until notified last night. We are all understandably shocked by the situation, but as the matter is now before the courts, we won't be commenting any further."

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Former host Tom Williams will be brought back to sit next to Obermeder for the rest of the week.

Obermeder is not alone in her shock, colleagues and friends of Phelan, 45, who had been with him just hours before he was arrested, have revealed they were "blindsided" by media reports on the explosive allegations.

Phelan, who had co-hosted Seven's recently axed The Daily Edition for the past three years, along with various other hosting roles on Seven for almost a decade, had been stood down immediately from Seven.

Police said Ms Franklin, a 44-year-old ballet teacher, attended Frenchs Forest police station in Sydney's northern beaches on Saturday night to report an alleged domestic violence incident.

An hour after finishing his shift at Seven's Martin Place studios, Phelan attended Manly police station on Monday night where he was arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

He was granted bail and will appear in Manly Local Court on June 30.

Ryan Phelan with girlfriend Chelsea Franklin.Credit:Instagram: @ryanphelan_tv

The Daily Edition's final episode, which Phelan co-hosted with Obermeder, is scheduled to air this Friday. Obermeder and Phelan learned they would be out of a job last Friday, however they were to remain on air this week with a "tribute" farewell show being planned for Friday.

"Ryan Phelan won't be returning to Seven," Sunrise newsreader Natalie Barr said on-air on Tuesday morning.

"The network was unaware of the incident until notified last night."

Just hours before his arrest a smiling Phelan, with his face freshly dusted in foundation and hair lacquered into position, was dropping puns for the cameras for his gig as co-host of the live-to-air afternoon light entertainment show.

He and Obermeder delivered their usual fare of Hollywood gossip interspersed with news updates, cute stories about whales frolicking off Bondi and life insurance infomercials.

Phelan was asked to stay back for the 6pm news to fill in for regular sports newsreader Mel McLaughlin. He happily obliged.

By 8pm Phelan was at Manly police station being arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

"He didn't let on to anyone. He came in, went about his usual business and went on camera, there was absolutely nothing unusual. Looking back, it was quite extraordinary," a Martin Place source, speaking on the grounds of anonymity, revealed on Tuesday as news of his arrest sent shockwaves throughout Seven.

By 8.30 Monday night, Phelan's boss, Seven News director Craig MacPherson, had received a call from a crime reporter at The Daily Telegraph asking him to comment on Phelan's arrest.

It was the first anyone at Seven had heard about Phelan's charge. The network's bosses, already reeling amid staff cuts and bad headlines, were blindsided.

Phelan has moved out of the $2.16 million Frenchs Forest home he recently purchased with Franklin and is now staying with friends. He has since told former colleagues he is "distraught" by the events of the past 48 hours.

Phones went into meltdown well into Monday night as Seven executives and talent were alerted about what was happening. The Sunrise team was fully briefed on how the network would handle the news on Tuesday morning.

with AAP

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2020-06-23 05:00:50Z
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