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Normie Rowe blames PTSD for Midday Show punch-up with Ron Casey

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When a fight broke out on the MIDDAY SHOW in 1991, little did we know the sad truth behind that infamous fight

Normie Rowe (image – normierowe.com)

Normie Rowe has had one of the most successful music careers in Australian television, but it’s 20 seconds of his appearance on channel 9 in 1991 that most people still ask him about all these years later.

Talk-back radio host Ron Casey and singer Normie Rowe became involved in a heated exchange of words during a debate about Australia becoming a republic, which escalated in Casey punching Rowe in the face.

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In a new interview on The Anj, Rob & Robbo Show, Rowe explains how the footage went viral – before going viral was a thing:

“It went all over the world, it was amazing – England and Europe and the United States and Canada, South America, all sorts of places came back with reports that it has been on the local television screen,

But what we didn’t know at the time was why things descended like they did. Casey was known for playing up to the cameras and wreaking havoc, but Rowe’s anger during the debate came as a surprise to many.

*Watch the interview in the player below (skip to 47.02)

Normie now explains that his PTSD, as a result of his time serving in Vietnam, played a major part in those extraordinary scenes:

“Knowing what I know now I would never have even put myself in that situation because I suffer with, well I don’t suffer, I have a strategy with my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I don’t put myself in stressful situations. I knew it was going to be stressful and yet I still went ahead and turned up.

Despite his apprehension about appearing on the program, Normie believed it was his duty to turn up:

“For me it was much more about protecting my friends who don’t have a platform. If somebody says something that I think is totally derogatory and something unfair, I’m sorry but I’m going to stand up because that’s the place that I’ve put myself ever since I came back (from Vietnam). If I was going to be in showbusiness again it wasn’t going to be for self-flagellation of the pop star where you go on stage purely and simply to get people to love you. I couldn’t do that any more, it had to be for something, something substantial.”

The popular singer struggled to reignite his career after returning from Vietnam and was reportedly even shunned by Molly Meldrum‘s Countdown. With hard work and determination though, Normie rebuilt his career and remains one of Australia’s most popular performers to this day.

Now he’s back on the road with Dinah Lee, and Jade Hurley for the 3 Legends In Concert Series, GO HERE FOR DETAILS

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Robert McKnight
Robert McKnighthttps://tvblackbox.com.au/robert-mcknight/
"Leading TV commentator" - The Daily Telegraph | "Known for his impeccable sources in the TV industry" - The Daily Mail | "Always first with the correct info" - Beau Ryan | Robert McKnight is a highly regarded Australian Television Producer having worked at SEVEN, NINE and TEN during his 30 years in the industry. Currently Rob can be seen every fortnight on THE MORNING SHOW (7) and heard on NIGHTS WITH JOHN STANLEY (2GB/4BC). He is also a producer on 7 NEWS SPOTLIGHT.
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