Em Rusciano returns to Southern Cross Austereo after clashing with management and sensationally quitting 2Day FM two years ago
Em Rusciano sensationally quit her job at 2Day FM’s two years ago amid rumours of ‘diva behaviour’ and disputes with management.
But it appears she has since buried the hatchet with Southern Cross Austereo, as she has joined forces with the company to launch a podcast about self-isolation.
The series titled Emsolation involves Em and Offspring screenwriter Michael Lucas discussing the music and TV shows that are helping them get through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diva? Em Rusciano has returned to Southern Cross Austereo after clashing with management and sensationally quitting 2Day FM two years ago
‘I’m hoping to provide a small pocket of escape and a bit of fun for people during these self isolating times,’ Em said in a statement.
‘It allows me to channel my energy as a force for good, rather than use it to criticise the way my husband chews his food.’
Southern Cross Austereo’s head of podcasting, Grant Tothill, seemingly alluded to Em’s ‘diva’ reputation as he introduced the program.
Change of heart: Despite clashing with Southern Cross Austero management on the direction of the radio show, she has now returned with an isolation-themed podcast series called Emsolation
‘If you want to get some real relief from your isolation with campy monologues and diva dissections that you didn’t know you needed, listen to Emsolation,’ he said.
Em has admitted to acting like a ‘petulant toddler’ while hosting 2Day FM’s Sydney breakfast show from 2017 to 2018.
She told the Shameless podcast in July last year that she had felt ‘ripped off’ when Grant Denyer and Ed Kavalee were drafted in as co-hosts by SCA management.
‘[After] Ed and Grant came on, two people that I hadn’t worked with, the direction of the show changed and it had to change because they [2Day FM executives] wanted to try something else,’ Em said.
Roast? Southern Cross Austero head of podcasting Grant Tothill appeared to take a subtle dig at Em’s ‘diva’ past as he introduced the new program. Pictured with actor Rob Mills
Em didn’t like the direction the show was going after it was rebranded from ‘The Em Rusciano Radio Show’ into ‘2Day FM Breakfast With Em, Grant and Ed’.
She dealt with her frustrations by ‘acting out’ in the workplace and refusing to play along with certain segments.
‘I guess I started acting like a petulant toddler, saying, “No, I don’t want to do that, that’s not what we agreed.” I was saying no a lot at work,’ she explained.
Dark times: Em revealed that she felt ‘angry’ and ‘ripped off’ during her ill-fated stint as a breakfast radio host on 2Day FM between 2017 and 2018
According to Em, she had to ‘swallow a lot of the s**t’ she was feeling about the show’s content, which ‘was not what what [she’d] chosen to do’.
Em didn’t realise her anger was a problem until management pulled her aside to let her know she ‘was making everyone really uncomfortable’.
Emsolation can be listened to on PodcastOne Australia, iTunes or Spotify
‘That’s not what I agreed to do’: Em told the Shameless podcast that she acted like a ‘petulant toddler’ when management brought in Grant Denyer (right) and Ed Kavalee (left) as co-hosts in late 2017 and changed the direction of the show