Eddie McGuire will return to host Footy Classified on Wednesday night, in his first live TV appearance since stepping down as Collingwood president.
The Nine presenter, 56, has been keeping a low profile since his resignation on February 9, which came after a damning report about systemic racism in the club.
While it was previously unclear whether McGuire would be returning to Footy Classified, Channel Nine this afternoon confirmed he would be taking his usual seat alongside Ross Lyon, Caroline Wilson and Matthew Lloyd.
Return: Eddie McGuire will return to host Footy Classified on Wednesday night, in his first live appearance since controversially stepping down as Collingwood president
However, according to The Herald Sun, McGuire only informed the network of his return on Tuesday evening – a matter of hours before being ‘front and centre’ at the show’s planning meeting on Wednesday morning.
McGuire filmed new episodes of Millionaire Hot Seat last week, but this will be the first time he returns to live TV after more than a month away from the public eye.
It remains unclear when – or if – he will return to Fox Footy.
McGuire’s decision to resign as president of the Collingwood Football Club – a position he has held since 1998 – came less than a week after the release of a report that revealed there was a history of ‘systemic racism’ within the club.
Confirmed: While it was previously unclear whether McGuire would be returning on Wednesday, both McGuire and Channel Nine have confirmed that he will be taking his usual seat alongside Ross Lyon, Caroline Wilson and Matthew Lloyd
The controversy-plagued president was slammed for calling the release of the report ‘an historic and proud day for the Collingwood Football Club’.
He referenced those comments at the beginning of his final press conference, with his opening line: ‘I try my best and I don’t always get it right, but I don’t stop trying.’
‘From the moment I became the President of the Collingwood Football Club on my 34th birthday back in 1998, my sole motivation was to heal, unite, inspire and drive a new social conscience,’ McGuire said.
‘Not just into this club, but sport and the community in general and build an organisation that would be a place for opportunity for all people.
‘I don’t think it is either fair or tenable for the club or the community (to continue in this role).
‘People have latched on to my opening line last week and as a result I have become a lightning rod for vitriol but have placed the club in a position where it is hard to move forward with our plans of clear air.’
Out: McGuire’s decision to resign as president of the Collingwood Football Club – a position he has held since 1998 – came less than a week after the release of a report that revealed there was a history of ‘systemic racism’ within the club
Gone: The controversy-plagued president was slammed for calling the release of the report ‘an historic and proud day for the Collingwood Football Club’
McGuire has himself been plagued by accusations of racism during his presidency.
In his most infamous gaffe he likened abused Indigenous footballer Adam Goodes to King Kong, just days after the former Sydney Swan player was called an ‘ape’ by one young Collingwood supporter in the crowd at the MCG.
Despite his initial comments, within 24 hours of saying he was ‘proud’ of the report McGuire had backflipped.
He admitted at the club’s Annual General Meeting the next day that ‘I got it wrong’.
‘I said it was a proud day for Collingwood, and I shouldn’t have,’ McGuire opened the meeting.
‘I didn’t mean we were proud of past incidents of racism and the hurt that it caused. I am not.’
But his admission he had made a mistake did little to appease Lumumba or a chorus of others who were calling for him to resign.
His resignation came just a day after an open-letter, signed by political, sporting and business greats, urged McGuire to stand down.
Claims: The report into the club came after former Collingwood premiership player Heritier Lumumba claimed he was racially abused on a number of occasions during his time at the Magpies