Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, showbiz agent Titus Day revealed Denyer and his wife Chezzi had shockingly severed ties with him after eight years of working together.
“Grant and Chezzi came to see me this week and told me that they were terminating my management agreement,” Day told the publication.
“The reason they gave is they are ‘going to do some major house renovations and so don’t want to pay commissions on any of their deals’.”
This latest revelation marks what has been a big year for Grant and Chezzi. When Family Feud was cancelled earlier this year after four years on air, Grant took a well-earned break.
However, now that the star is gearing up to resume work, Chezzi – who has been married to Grant for eight years and shares two children with him – is said to be worried that her husband will succumb to exhaustion once again.
The Ten talent was left jobless after leaving his weather gig on Sunrise after 10 years. A subsequent near-fatal motor vehicle crash saw the pint-sized star battle depression and prescription medication addiction, before a rumoured stint in a Thai rehab facility.
The news that Grant had sacked his manager came as a shock to industry insiders, with many crediting Day for transforming his career during rocky times. Denyer was given a second chance at stardom following his alleged rehab stay, when Day negotiated a deal to host Family Feud – for which he won a gold Logie in June – and also masterminded several other lucrative contracts, including Game of Games, a radio gig with 2DayFM and, most recently, securing him the coveted role as host of Dancing with the Stars.
Clearly smarting, Day – who also acrimoniously parted ways with Guy Sebastian last year – continued his statement with: “Obviously, given what we have been through together in the last eight years, that hurts. I took them from the bottom to the top and am immensely proud of the work my team and I have done. Nothing can change that and we will move on to bigger and better things. But I will be enforcing my legal rights and they will honour their agreements and be paying the commissions that are owed.”
The news follows a report last month in which it was claimed Grant refused to participate in a photo shoot.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported, “When contacted by Fairfax Media this week to pose in a Father’s Day photo with his two daughters, Denyer’s manager Titus Day said in no uncertain terms that his client was ‘far too valuable to do something like that for free’ but was happy to offer up Sophie Monk and UFC fighter Rob Whittaker in his place.”
The former Family Feud host’s manager denied the claims, stating, “I certainly never have said anything like that.”
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