Melbourne Radio Hosts Face Backlash for Calling Shark Attack Survivor a Liar

Leah Stewart, a 35-year-old mother and schoolteacher, survived a brutal great white shark attack at Sydney’s Coogee Beach on June 13, losing part of her left arm. When she detailed her harrowing survival instincts on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes, Melbourne radio hosts Brendan Fevola, Kate Langbroek, and Nick Cody accused her of embellishing her story, sparking widespread public fury.

Inside the Harrowing Coogee Beach Attack and 60 Minutes Revelation

The incident unfolded on June 13 when Stewart was swimming between the flags at Coogee Beach. A 3.5-metre great white shark mauled her, inflicting severe fractures and blood loss, and costing her part of her left arm. The injuries were so critical that she required placement on life support and underwent multiple surgeries.

During her appearance on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes, Stewart shared striking details of her psychological state during the attack. Staring into the predator’s black little beady eyes, she reasoned through her options. “I’m right-handed, so I decided, ‘Let’s do a left hook,'” she recalled, noting she deliberately chose the limb she was more willing to lose. Driven by the thought of her one-year-old daughter, August, she twisted around and punched the massive animal repeatedly until it released her.

Here is why that matters for public discourse. Yet, those exact cognitive details became the epicenter of a major media controversy.

Breakfast Radio Backlash at 101.9 The Fox

On Monday morning, the breakfast radio trio on Melbourne’s 101.9 The Fox zeroed in on Stewart’s televised interview. Brendan Fevola, a former AFL player, told his co-hosts that he and his wife Alex watched the segment from their couch and concluded the survivor was fabricating parts of her account. Fevola remarked, “She’s lying! Too much time to think! You’re not thinking all that, are you? Come on, oh right or left? Like bro, you are amazing – you punched a shark in the face and survived – but you’re not thinking all that. That’s a lot of mayo.”

Co-host Kate Langbroek, filling in for regular presenter Fifi Box, echoed the skepticism. Langbroek compared the account to professional surfer Mick Fanning’s reaction during his shark encounter, noting that Fanning reported acting purely on reflex without conscious thought. Nick Cody joined the discussion as the trio questioned whether any human could maintain such cognitive clarity while being mauled by a predator.

But there is a catch. Fevola himself conceded during the broadcast that had he faced the same predatory attack, he “would have had a heart attack and would have been eaten.” Despite that admission, the hosts continued to assert that Stewart had embellished her ordeal.

Public Outrage and Broadcaster Fallout

Listeners swiftly condemned the remarks across social media and talkback channels. Outraged audiences called for severe repercussions against the high-profile breakfast team, with some demanding their dismissal.

Photo: 1news.co.nz

“This is astounding – no one has any idea what this lady has been through or how we would react if in the same situation – shameful,” one listener stated. Another noted, “She needed to try and remain calm for her own survival and for the sake of her daughter. Is that so hard to understand?” Others expressed alienation from the station, with one listener stating they used to love Fox FM but could no longer stomach the morning broadcast.

The controversy arrives at a vulnerable time for the radio program. The Fox FM breakfast show has experienced a recent audience slide, with its Melbourne survey market share dropping from 10 percent to 8.9 percent.

Overview of the Coogee Beach Shark Attack and Media Fallout

Event Detail	Recorded Fact
Date of Attack	June 13
Location	Coogee Beach, Sydney (between the flags)
Victim	Leah Stewart, 35, schoolteacher and mother of one
Shark Species & Size	Great white shark, approximately 3.5 metres
Injuries Sustained	Severe fractures, blood loss, loss of part of left arm
Broadcasters Involved	Brendan Fevola, Kate Langbroek, Nick Cody (101.9 The Fox)

The Broader Conversation on Trauma Responses

Stewart explicitly credited her survival to her desperate need to return to her daughter August.

As the station deals with the fallout from its audience, the central reality remains unchanged: a mother fought off a 3.5-metre great white shark, survived catastrophic injuries, and lived to tell the tale.