Nova’s big Sydney breakfast plans face Blackwell speed bump
Ricki-Lee and Tim Blackwell have been Nova Sydney's brekafast show for four weeks
Nova presenter Tim Blackwell has been served with an interim apprehended violence order in relation to his ex-wife Monique Blackwell.
According to the Daily Mail, which broke the story on Thursday evening, the matter was before Newtown Local Court on Wednesday morning, with the interim AVO granted. Tim Blackwell was not present at the hearing.
The granting of the order does not imply Blackwell is guilty — it is a temporary measure to protect parties while the substantive issues are decided in court.
Blackwell’s lawyer, Paul McGirr of McGirr & Associates, issued a statement to the Daily Mail.
“All I can say is that it will be vigorously defended. I’m not going to comment on the specifics except to say the matter will be vigorously defended and it appears that the AVO is being used as a weapon as opposed to a shield.”
The matter will be in the courts again on April 15.
The timing isn’t great for Nova, which recently inserted Blackwell and Ricki-Lee Coulter into the plum Sydney breakfast slot. It replaced Fitzy, Wippa, and Kate Ritchie, who were moved into the national drive slot that Blackwell and Coulter previously occupied.
Blackwell and Coulter started in their new role on February 9, joined by former Ten journalist Sarah Harris as newsreader.
Blackwell remained on air for Thursday and Friday’s shows, and was a key part of Nova’s “2026 Infronts” event in inner-Sydney on the Wednesday afternoon after the interim AVO was granted.
Nova declined to comment on the record.
NOTE: In an earlier version of this story, it stated that Monique Blackwell had “taken out” the AVO against Tim Blackwell. It has been reported independently that police, not Monique Blackwell, applied for the AVO, and this story has been changed to reflect that. Mumbrella has contacted police to verify.
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