{"id":85951,"date":"2026-09-02T09:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T09:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/85951\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T09:56:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T09:56:07","slug":"radio-hosts-questions-shark-attack-survivor-leah-stewarts-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/85951\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio hosts questions shark attack survivor Leah Stewart\u2019s story"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Sydney Shark attack victim Leah Stewart shared her story on 60 Minutes on Sunday night, there was an outpouring of love and support from viewers across the country.<\/p>\n

The folks over at Fox FM\u2019s Fifi, Fev & Nick<\/a> breakfast were also sympathetic to Stewart\u2019s story of survival, although they did have a few questions about the moment the young mum was attacked by a great white shark in Coogee Beach<\/a>, with host Brendan Fevola wondering whether there\u2019s a \u201ca lot of mayo\u201d in Stewart\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

During an on-air debrief, Fevola, Nick Cody and fill-in host Kate Langbroek dissected Stewart\u2019s quick-thinking when she punched the shark in the face that fateful morning in June, striking with her left arm before the underwater predator ripped it right off.<\/p>\n

Speaking to 60 Minutes<\/a>, Stewart recalled coming face-to-face with the shark\u2019s \u201cblack little beady eyes\u201d and \u2013 in the moment before it severed her arm \u2013 decided to throw a left hook because she was more \u201cwilling to lose\u201d that arm, being right-handed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never been in this position and I wouldn\u2019t understand what would go on, but if a shark was attacking you, you wouldn\u2019t have much time to think,\u2019\u201d Fevola said on-air, as Langbroek agreed, \u201cNo, most people say you don\u2019t even know what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fevola said he was watching the program at home and was left wondering if Stewart had embellished her story. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was on the couch with my wife going, \u2018Too much time to think! You\u2019re not thinking all that are you?\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Langbroek appeared to defend Stewart, saying there is no way they could put themselves in her shoes.<\/p>\n

\u201cMercifully, we don\u2019t know,\u201d she reasoned. \u201cBut it does seem unusual. The only other person I know who\u2019s punched a shark is [professional surfer] Mick Fanning. He said at the time he didn\u2019t even have a chance to think about what he was doing, it was like a reflex.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fanning made headlines in 2015 when he was attacked by a great white shark during a surfing tournament in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. The three-time world champion survived the attack after he kicked and punched the shark until it swam away. <\/p>\n

Fevola said he just couldn\u2019t understand Stewart\u2019s thought process during a moment where many would likely blank out.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, \u2018Oh, right or left?\u2019 Like bro, you are amazing \u2013 you punched a shark in the face and survived \u2013 but you\u2019re not thinking all that,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot of mayo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listeners were left divided with Fevola\u2019s comments, some agreeing with him while others arguing that everyone reacts to scenarios in different ways. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe all react differently in panicked situations, some stay composed others lose all composure \u2026 I found the interview, on her behalf, very sincere !!! She didn\u2019t stop thinking, probably why she pulled through,\u201d one commented on The Fox\u2019s official Facebook account<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe survived a great white attack. I don\u2019t think anyone can question what she thought, felt or did. Nor should they. Love you, Fev – but can\u2019t agree with your thoughts on this one,\u201d another listener wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer truth is hers. we all saw the footage. why can\u2019t we just be in awe that she survived,\u201d one user commented.<\/p>\n

But Fevola was not alone in his thinking, with other listeners saying his opinion is valid.<\/p>\n

\u201cThought the same thing. Who has time in that moment to go which limb is the least important to me \u2026. so odd,\u201d one listener wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did great to fight that shark off but I certainly watched that and thought there is a tonne of mayo on that story!\u201d commented one critic. <\/p>\n

\u201cIts an undoubtedly incredible story, and I dont doubt she fought like hell, but this has been very sensationalised,\u201d read another comment. <\/p>\n

They added, \u201cIn these situations the prefrontal cortex switches off and adrenaline and instinct kicks in, and there is no planning or rational thought, only survival.\u201d<\/p>\n

News.com.au has reached out to Ms Stewart for comment. <\/p>\n

Read related topics:Sydney<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Sydney Shark attack victim Leah Stewart shared her story on 60 Minutes on Sunday night, there was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85952,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[142319,50333,41536,138681,142301,142297,90675,57971,142302,142317,40421,19711,40379,142288,142285,118859,142308,142307,38151,38188,142286,37531,142310,102750,142313,142290,59373,142295,65771,142306,142305,141552,22,141554,21,51157,132685,142326,31752,14444,96267,142303,142312,13433,142320,141536,142282,13436,3825,81668,106078,55233,142325,141528,139705,142292,142287,142327,52,142300,142293,36788,30255,89821,47258,134870,41414,29053,141540,42062,37007,141520,36518,142283,40247,142314,37300,141518,92890,142315,142299,142291,142296,142281,12269,141537,142284,141538,142309,8893,881,19816,20486,142311,142321,61482,142324,97054,40726,66940,37024,39951,142322,44304,13437,40574,142318,37772,142304,142298,41308,58812,41313,142323,36556,142316,142294,94412,27205,38773,100751,36894,59641,39702,142289,110748],"class_list":["post-85951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-s-black-little-beady-eyes","tag-s-account","tag-s-comments","tag-s-fifi","tag-s-harrowing-story","tag-s-official-facebook-account","tag-s-quick-thinking","tag-s-story","tag-s-story-during","tag-s-thought-process","tag-40421","tag-60-minutes","tag-a-chance","tag-a-few-questions","tag-a-great-white-attack","tag-a-great-white-shark","tag-a-left-hook","tag-a-listener-debate","tag-a-lot","tag-a-moment","tag-a-reflex","tag-a-shark","tag-a-surfing-tournament","tag-a-tonne","tag-adrenaline-and-instinct","tag-all-composure","tag-all-that","tag-an-on-air-debrief","tag-an-outpouring","tag-an-undoubtedly-incredible-story","tag-another-comment","tag-another-listener","tag-au","tag-aussie-radio-hosts","tag-austrlia","tag-awe","tag-bro","tag-coming-face-to-face","tag-comment","tag-coogee-beach","tag-different-ways","tag-fanning","tag-fateful-morning","tag-fev","tag-fev-nick-breakfast","tag-fevola","tag-fill-in-host-kate-langbroek","tag-fox-fm","tag-headlines","tag-her-arm","tag-her-behalf","tag-her-left-arm","tag-her-ordeal","tag-her-shoes","tag-her-story","tag-her-truth","tag-his-opinion","tag-his-thinking","tag-home","tag-host-brendan-fevola","tag-jeffreys-bay","tag-june","tag-langbroek","tag-listeners","tag-love-and-support","tag-mayo","tag-most-people","tag-ms-stewart","tag-much-time","tag-my-wife","tag-news-com-au","tag-nick-cody","tag-night","tag-no-planning-or-rational-thought","tag-no-way","tag-on-air","tag-one-critic","tag-one-listener","tag-one-user","tag-only-survival","tag-other-listeners","tag-panicked-situations","tag-professional-surfer-mick-fanning","tag-question-survivor","tag-radio","tag-radio-hosts","tag-scenarios","tag-shark-attack-survivor-leah-stewart","tag-some-stay","tag-south-africa","tag-stewart","tag-sunday","tag-survival","tag-sydney-shark-attack-victim-leah-stewart","tag-that-arm","tag-that-moment","tag-that-shark","tag-that-story","tag-the-attack","tag-the-couch","tag-the-country","tag-the-face","tag-the-folks","tag-the-footage","tag-the-fox","tag-the-interview","tag-the-least-important","tag-the-moment","tag-the-only-other-person","tag-the-prefrontal-cortex","tag-the-program","tag-the-same-thing","tag-the-shark","tag-the-three-time-world-champion","tag-the-time","tag-the-underwater-predator","tag-the-young-mum","tag-these-situations","tag-thinking","tag-this-one","tag-this-position","tag-time","tag-too-much-time","tag-viewers","tag-which-limb","tag-your-thoughts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}