Of course, the longer version goes something like this: A critic of the show in her Sydney newspaper column, Wilson was invited by Footy Show executive producer Steve Crawley to join the show in a bid to boost the program's Titanic-like ratings. The war began before Wilson even stepped foot inside the Channel 9 studios. Rumours circulated that hosts Paul Vautin and Peter Sterling were furious at Wilson's recruitment and had plans to "freeze" her out and not acknowledge her at all during the program.

Vautin and Sterling vehemently denied these rumours on their program. Interestingly, when Wilson walked on to The Footy Show set for the first time she got to shake hands only with Matt Johns and Paul Harrigan - both Sterling and Vautin offered no type of welcome. Minutes later in a contradictory move, Vautin went on to say that they (the Footy Show "boys") were gentlemen and planned to treat Wilson with respect. Vautin proved this by, allegedly, refusing to speak to Wilson during the entire program or during advertisement breaks. As the Footy Show's credits rolled, Vautin then leaned over to Wilson and threatened to "punch her in the babymaker". Oh, no, hang on, that was Ron Burgundy talking to Veronica Corningstone in Anchorman.

Anyway, after a week of being repeatedly bagged on radio for her performance by Vautin, his manager John Gibbs and Andrew Voss, Wilson quit The Footy Show saying, "Nobody is going to bully me." Channel 9 publicity must be rubbing their hands in glee, they would be if all this had resulted in higher ratings for the flagging program. It hasn't. When it comes down to it there's only room for one woman on The Footy Show and that's Vautin when he's in drag (cue the canned laughter).

Of course, the Wilson versus The Footy Show "boys" stoush is just the latest in a long line of well-known television co-host feuds.

In 1975, a young Barbara Walters became the first woman to anchor a network news program in the United States. Naturally, she was despised by her ABC news co-host, veteran anchor Harry Reasoner, who reportedly rolled his eyes at her off-camera during her first appearance. The war between the two became so bad that they completely stopped talking to each other and refused to be seen on camera together during the nightly news telecast.

One of the most famous co-host feuds in the UK happened in front of viewers on the nation's popular breakfast show GMTV. Co-hosts Eamonn Holmes and Anthea Turner may have had to swap inane banter and share the morning show sofa on air but in real life they reportedly loathed one another and had regular off-air spats. Holmes went so far as to refer to Turner in the press as "Princess Tippy Toes". Turner later quit the program.

Of course, sometimes a long-running feud can just add to the chemistry of the program and lead to ratings success. Take, for instance, the 1980s hit detective show Moonlighting. Former model Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) teamed up with smart-mouthed sleuth David Addison (Bruce Willis when he had hair) to run the Blue Moon Detective Agency. The show's ratings success was attributed to the incredible sexual tension and unique rapport between Willis (then an unknown) and Shepherd.

What viewers didn't realise, at first, was that it wasn't a stretch for Willis and Shepherd to play warring colleagues. The co-stars apparently hated each other and frequently fought off screen. In an interview, Shepherd once said about Willis, "His idea of a romantic kiss was to go 'blaah' and gag me with his tongue. He only improved once he married Demi Moore."