Matthew Newton and A Current Affair slammed

Newton had spent close to a year in a psychiatric hospital after two very public charges for violence against former partners Brooke Satchwell and Rachael Taylor. Newton said he had been diagnosed with a range of mental health issues.

Last night Channel 9 aired the first interview since the Underbelly actor came out of hospital.

Hughesy and Kate said on Nova 100 this morning they believe Newton was paid by A Current Affair for the interview.

“If he hadn’t have been violent against women that interview wouldn’t have happened…. that’s why it was a news story and he got paid for it,” Dave Hughes said.

“So he got paid because he was violent against women. That’s interesting.”

Kate Langbroek took exception to Newton’s answer to Tracy Grimshaw’s question about whether he had acknowledged what he had done to Taylor.

Newton replied that he was ashamed of his behavior but said “there’s certain aspects of a relationship that involve two people and I am only one half of that”.

Kate responded: “So when a woman gets her head banged against the marble floor of a hotel in Rome she should probably have a good look at herself yeah?”

She also highlighted Newton’s response to a question about whether he owed people an apology.

“My biggest mistake was not knowing that I needed treatment sooner than I did, I needed to be forced.”Newton said.

Kate responded: “That’s amazing, all this time to reflect, and that’s his biggest mistake.”

Kate said he was very evasive about answering questions about his drug use and Hughesy was horrified that he had said “drugs have never been my problem” because to Hughesy it implied that Newton was saying that he could still take drugs.

Nova listeners reiterated Hughesy and Kate’s thoughts, one going as far as saying they would never watch A Current Affair again.

Others, particularly on A Current Affair’s website, have been supportive of the fallen star, sympathising with how hard it would be to talk about his issues.