By PATRICK GOWER
Gary McCormick is on the brink of quitting television permanently after the failure of his latest show.
The star, who had a hit with Heartland but a bomb in McCormick Rips, says he is fed up with being in the public spotlight.
Last night, he said he was deeply upset by TVNZ's decision this week to end McCormick Rips after only two programmes. The 13-show series was guaranteed $655,169 in public money from NZ On Air.
"It has just got to a point where I've said, 'Bugger all this. I should just go back to Gisborne and go out surfing'."
He also said he would rather do small pub shows with friends such as poet Sam Hunt. TVNZ, he said, was too commercially focused and did not encourage new ideas.
McCormick told the Herald he was unhappy about his public life after the show's demise and a recent Metro magazine article which he labelled an "appalling piece of journalism." The article discussed his tearful speech at the funeral of satirist A.K. Grant.
"The worse thing is that I can't afford to sue them for defamation. So instead I ring up [Metro editor] Bill Ralston and he doesn't have the good grace to even return my calls."
Last night, Ralston said he had not been in touch with McCormick because the magazine had a strict policy of not contacting people threatening legal action.
"Now I know Gary is not threatening legal action I'll make an effort to get in touch with him. I like the guy so I'll find out what his problem is."
McCormick wants out of the public spotlight
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