Radio Star Davi Crimmins “Shocked and Disappointed” to Be Let Go from ‘The Bert Show’
Published June 25 2022, 2:02 p.m. ET
Fans are grappling to understand why Davi Crimmins left The Bert Show, an Atlanta-based radio showthat is syndicated across 23 markets across the country, after four years as a full-time cast member.
Bert Weiss, the namesake host of the show, announced on the June 14 episode of the show that he had let Davi go, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “For reasons I cannot detail on the show, this is the move I painstakingly chose to make,” he said at the time.
Bert Weiss attributed Davi’s departure on “chemistry.”
During the June 14 announcement, Bert said there’s no one person at fault for Davi’s departure.“Some of you guys will get it twisted and assume that Davi must have been the problem,” he said, per the Journal-Constitution. “I assure you with all sincerity that is simply not the truth. In my eyes, the spirit of a studio is defined by all its members, so this is not just a Davi issue and that’s why she’s not here anymore. … We all have a responsibility in this.”
Bert also said that Davi’s departure is “by far the most painful change we’ve had because it is so deeply personal” but added that he had to fix the chemistry of the workplace.
“Chemistry is everything when it comes to this job,” he explained. “If the chemistry sucks off the air, eventually you’ll hear it on the air, but this has little to do with the on-air product. It has to do with people being happy at work. The chemistry in this studio has gotten to a point that wasn’t healthy. As much as I tried to fix it, the problem has existed for a while, and it comes and it goes too often.”
He went on: “It’s clear to me the atmosphere was impacting the happiness and health of multiple members of the staff so something had to be done.”
But Bert also praised the “tremendously talented” Davi. “She makes me laugh harder than any person that has ever sat in that seat. I know you guys love her, too,” he said. “I am deeply protective of Davi. … There are no good guys, and there are no bad guys in this thing. It’s just a mix that wasn’t working anymore, and I hope you guys can understand that.”
Davi said she was “shocked and disappointed” to be let go, while another ‘Bert Show’ alum seemingly called Bert a “bully.”
Davi addressed her abrupt Bert Show exit in a statement, saying she was trying to solve the show’s chemistry issue.
“I’m as shocked and disappointed as our listeners,” she said, per the Journal-Constitution. “I have put forth every effort to solve the chemistry issue and improve the off-air relationship. My efforts were noticed and complimented by management. I wish I had more answers for our listeners, but at this time, I’m going to concentrate on my next move.”
A week after Bert announced Davi’s exit, former Bert Show cast member Jeff Dauler seemingly referred to Bert, his former boss, as a “bully” on his podcast, Upside, without naming names, as the Journal-Constitution reported separately.
If a person who has a microphone and an audience “[says] harmful or hurtful things about the other person, then they’re a bully,” Jeff said on Upside’s June 22 episode. “They’re mean. … They’re cruel. … No matter how they disguise it or what makeup they put on it, it’s still the same thing. It’s bullying. That’s not what decent people do.”