THE host of ABC television's Gardening Australia program has been told that his services are no longer required. Stephen Ryan, who fronted the program for three years, says the program's executive producer, Tim Mitchell, visited him at his home with the bad news. He said that, before leaving, Mr Mitchell handed him a prepared ABC press release to sign - ''if I approved of the contents and in my own time'' - stating that he was ''retiring'' to spend more time at his Mount Macedon nursery.
But nothing could be further from the truth, according to Mr Ryan, who took over from Peter Cundall in November 2008. He said he believed he had been sacked, given his contract wasn't being renewed, and he definitely wasn't retiring. "Tim was very ill at ease and said it was one of the worst things he'd had to do. The conversation lasted a couple of minutes and then he left. I thought he was coming to talk about the show and plans for next year, so it was a bolt out of the blue and very upsetting.''He refused to sign the press release because ''that's covering up and I've always been upfront and honest with people.''
Mr Ryan was also told that since his contract was not being renewed to front the gardening television program, he could no longer contribute articles to the Gardening Australia magazine. "They've cut me completely loose,'' he said. Mr Ryan said he had enjoyed working on the show and had not received any negative feedback about his performance. But he praised the ABC for choosing, three years ago, an unknown such as himself to replace the popular Cundall. ''I have a lot of respect for the program and I've learnt a lot of skills and everyone was wonderful to work with,'' Mr Ryan said. Meanwhile, Mr Ryan is looking for an alternative career besides running his rare plants nursery. "I have to have an income so if anyone's looking for someone to be the face on a bag of horse manure I'm your man.