MEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - Matt Siegel, host of KISS 108’s popular morning radio show ‘Matty in the Morning,’ signed off with a bang Wednesday.
The host seemingly quit on-air after being told to stop joking about Demi Lovato’s gender identity.
“I am the biggest of all time, and they said ‘shut up Matt! Stop talking.’ Well, I hope you’re happy because I just stopped talking. Matty out,” he said before abruptly signing off.
When discussing the announcement on-air, Siegel said, “by the way, it’s a joke, the whole binary thing. I don’t care what Demi Lovato does.”
It came after Lovato announced they are gender non-binary and identify with the pronouns they and them.
“I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression, and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I know I am and am still discovering,” Lovato said in a video on Twitter.
Siegel told 7NEWS he felt like he was being censored by the station.
“I got a call from my boss to stop talking about it. I got upset. I felt I wasn’t free to be myself after all these years on the air,” he said.
Though there was speculation he would not be returning to the show, Siegel put those rumors to bed saying that after a conversation with his bosses, he would be back for his show on Thursday.
“No, I am definitely not muzzled,” he said. “The company said basically that they appreciate my work over these many years and I’ve got their support, for which I’m eternally grateful.”
Siegel did not apologize for the joke nor for his reaction.
“The bottom line is it’s a comedy show, and I just try to help people have a good laugh on their way to work in the morning,” he said.
Despite harsh criticism on social media, he said he has no plans to change how he delivers the show.
“Not at all. 100 percent no,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, but by the same token, I do what I think is best. That’s my job.”
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