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A popular TV host considered Fox Sports’ golden boy has been dumped as a reporter by his girlfriend after receiving a late-night call from a female colleague.
Seven News reporter Grace Fitzgibbon was left ‘devastated and heartbroken’ when her boyfriend of three years Jake Duke received a call on Saturday morning.
A source close to the couple told Ny Breaking Australia that the call to 30-year-old Duke came “in the early hours” from New Zealand rugby league reporter Tiffany Salmond.
That prompted Fitzgibbon, 31, to end the three-year relationship and move out of the couple’s apartment in Freshwater, on Sydney’s northern beaches.
In a move that sparked rumors in TV circles, Fitzgibbon briefly posted a photo of her belongings piled up in cardboard boxes over the weekend.
Jake Duke and Grace Fitzgibbon’s relationship imploded after he received a late-night call from a colleague in New Zealand
Tiffany Salmond (pictured) called Jake Duke ‘in the early hours of Saturday morning’ and asked his girlfriend to end their three-year relationship
The couple’s split comes just days after they adopted a kitten named ‘Muffin’, with Fitzgibbon posting an image of Duke gently petting the cat.
“Finally, there’s a cat mom who can’t stop crying and can’t stop crying,” the photo captioned.
Both Fitzgibbon and Duke declined to comment when contacted by Ny Breaking Australia.
No wrongdoing is suggested by Duke or Fitzgibbon.
Salmond, 26, is a freelance sports reporter who made her debut for Fox Sports Australia last September.
Last year she teamed up with Duke at an NRL Warriors match in Auckland.
Duke regularly travels to New Zealand to fulfill his NRL commitments.
Salmond, who is based in Auckland, shared images from a trip to Sydney last week – including shots of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and dining at the Woolloomooloo wharf.
Salmond is an aspiring sports presenter based in Auckland. Above, with Duke on the sidelines
Tiffany Salmond pictured in Sydney last week
Duke and Fitzgibbon, who live together in Freshwater, recently adopted a kitten named Muffin
“I have a background in journalism, reporting and production, with a passion for sports broadcasting and rugby league,” according to her LinkedIn page.
Duke was named ‘Sports Media Person of the Year’ at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Awards last November.
He also hosts the podcast Refuse to Lose, a platform for athletes who “use their voices to change the world around them.”
Fitzgibbon is the daughter of Joel Fitzgibbon, a retired Labor frontbencher who was defense and agriculture minister when Kevin Rudd was prime minister.
She previously worked for Nine News and is also a registered wedding celebrant.
Tiffany Salmond was contacted for comment.
