For the first time in over a month, Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb were reunited on the radio. Shertenlieb returned to 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday for the first time since Toucher came back from his sabbatical.
The duo did not waste time addressing some of the reports and speculation that has been out there regarding their relationship and the show’s future. Fred Toucher said that he had a friend in town from Detroit over the weekend that joked people were “writing fan fiction” about the show.
“In an amazingly weird way, it’s kind of flattering,” Shertenlieb said.
Following a social media post from Toucher complaining about the lack of communication from his colleagues as he dealt with a cancer scare, fans and media outlets alike raised questions. Toucher noted that a lot of it was fair, but some of it was absurd.
“I found a message board discussing if Rich’s insurance was good enough because he didn’t have to pay a lot out of pocket during Mary’s illness and that he could leave me because I was such an ass,” he said.
When he returned to the Boston morning show last week, Toucher apologized for his social media post. He explained that he was dealing with both fear and the frustration of having just given up smoking. He noted that it was no excuse for lashing out.
Shertenlieb didn’t let on if there were problems that the two had addressed off air. Instead, he said that he understands being in the spotlight the way the show is means you make concessions regarding privacy.
“That is wild, because if that were all gone, you realize that ‘Well, maybe the career’s not doing so hot,’” he said. “The fact that people are this invested in us is pretty cool. I have to be honest. That part is pretty awesome.”
Between message boards and media coverage, Toucher & Rich have been a hot topic in Boston and beyond. Fred Toucher made a prediction for the first show the entire cast and crew was back together.
