Entertainment reporter Peter Ford has slammed Melbourne as “putrid” and “sad” after returning to the Victorian capital months after relocating to the Gold Coast.
Ford, who has frequent appearances on Channel 7’s Sunrise, took to social media on Monday to bemoan the state of the city’s CBD.
“Back in Melbourne for 48 hours. So much of the CBD is just putrid,” the broadcaster wrote on X.
In a video, Ford showed a damaged public toilet covered in “filth and graffiti”.
“This is a public toilet on the footpath outside Flinders Street Station. It’s strewn with filth & graffiti. I dare not look inside,” he said.
The clip quickly garnered more than 140,000 views and sparked hundreds of comments from divided social media users.
“Public toilets have looked like this for decades,” one Melburnian hit back.
In his reply, Ford agreed that “public toilets can get messy”, but said he was particularly appalled by this one.
“Yes, without getting gross, public toilets can get messy. But this is about the OUTSIDE only 100 metres from the iconic ‘clocks’ meeting point,” the reporter retaliated.
“If you think that’s OK, I can only imagine the squalor you live in.”
“Anyway, I’m a visitor here these days, but do you seriously think I’m the only visitor to walk past and say ‘yuk’,” he added in another tweet.
Many other people agreed with Ford’s comments, including one man from Perth who said he was “not surprised” by his video.
“Melbourne is dirty compared to other cities. Took this video on Collins St a few years back when we were walking back to our hotel. Rats just taking over the streets,” he wrote, alongside a clip of the rodents.
“This is largely representative of much of Melbourne and suburbia. Like seeing an old friend die slowly,” another Western Australian added.
Ford then lamented: “It feels like people have become numb to it. Sad.”
Last month, the 3AW host announced he had relocated from Melbourne, declaring “crime is a big problem” and he was sick of “walking over” homeless people.
He now lives on the Gold Coast, but continues to work with Channel Seven through a dedicated studio which has been set up for him.