Following her arrest for drunk driving last week, Kate Ritchie has stated that she made a “bad decision” and is “truly sorry” for her conduct.
The 44-year-old Australian actress and radio broadcaster was stopped on Monday afternoon in Sydney’s east and allegedly registered a blood alcohol level of 0.06 at Maroubra Police Station. She was later fined A$600 and given a three-month driving suspension.
Ritchie said this morning on Instagram: “I recently underwent an arbitrary breath test. Despite the low level, the test was successful. Without a doubt, I am aware of how foolish my choice was and how serious it is.”
Despite rumours that Ritchie might lose her job at the famous NovaFM drive show Kate, Tim & Joel, a network representative told news.com.au that Ritchie will be returning to the programme in a few weeks.
As you can see, Nova Entertainment declines to comment on any of our workers’ personal concerns. In regard to the situation, Kate has posted a statement on her social media accounts, a spokesman said.
“While we often avoid responding to this kind of baseless rumour or confirming our presenter lineup for 2023, we have no intentions to alter the Kate, Tim, and Joel drive show or Kate’s position within the programme.
Kate has been on pre-arranged leave for the past few weeks. After the survey break, she will return to the Kate, Tim, and Joel show. Kate is a dependable broadcaster and a valued part of the Nova Network and Kate, Tim & Joel teams.
Nova issued the statement after a report in the Daily Mail claimed the network was looking to replace her with Ricki-Lee Coulter following the incident.
Coulter, 36, is currently filling in for Ritchie while she’s on leave.
Ritchie was issued with an infringement notice for the offence of driving with low range prescribed concentration of alcohol and had her driver’s licence suspended on the spot.
The driving suspension comes amid her upcoming return to TV as a judge on the TV series, Australia’s Got Talent.
Although the reality show has apparently wrapped up filming, a release date is still pending.
Alongside Ritchie on the panel are British actors David Walliams and Alesha Dixon as well as Australian actor Shane Jacobson.
Ritchie has been appearing on her radio show sporadically over the past few months, taking numerous extended breaks, the most recent one being after contracting Covid.
Following her contentious divorce from her husband, retired rugby league player Stuart Webb, in 2019, who lately had his own driving record difficulties, including a DUI, Ritchie has had a challenging few years in the spotlight. The ex-daughter couple’s is eight years old.
She then started dating security consultant John Bell, 25, but their relationship ended at the end of the previous year.
Ritchie is well-known for her role as Sally Fletcher in the television series Home and Away, which she played from the time she was 8 years old in 1988 until 2008.
On Anh Do’s ABC programme, Brush With Fame, last year, Ritchie gave a rare emotional interview in which she discussed how she felt “lost” after quitting the long-running Seven soap opera.
She recalled the experience as being “just so frightening.”
“What do I actually do when someone doesn’t hand me a schedule on a Friday afternoon and tell me where to be on a Monday?”
